


Coming Home

by KabbySC



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - The 100 (TV) Fusion, Angst, Best Friends, Changing Relationships, F/M, Fluff, Jake is an ass, Kabby, No really...Jake's an ass, Slow Burn, The 100 - Freeform, did I say slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 158,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24963022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KabbySC/pseuds/KabbySC
Summary: Abby Griffin and Marcus Kane have been best friends and inseparable since they were 12. Through all the phases of their lives so far, they have been by each others side. One night everything changes for one of them and the path they are thrown on is one they never saw coming.
Relationships: Abby Griffin & Marcus Kane, Abby Griffin/Marcus Kane
Comments: 241
Kudos: 239





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Feeback welcome. I am still new to writting Kabby and haven't had a beta on this one. :)

Chapter 1  
It has been a long week and Marcus Kane was exhausted on every level. His company, ARK Security Technologies, was five days away from the largest security upgrade they had ever taken on and the pressure was palatable. If things went well, the sky was the limit for his small, upcoming company. If it didn’t… well, he didn’t even want to let his mind go down that particular rabbit hole. It had to go well, there was no room in his mind for what ifs or failures. They had worked too hard to get to this point to let anything get in their way now.

Marcus was immensely proud of what he and his partners, Indra and Sinclair, had built over the last eleven years. They had come up with the idea of starting their own security firm during their last year of grad school at Stanford. It had been a huge risk to strike out on their own, foolish even, but looking back over the last decade, he was so glad they had taken the chance.

AST had grown from a successful regional firm to one of the nation’s hottest IT security groups- mainly due to their reputation for nearly flawless integrations and almost impenetrable security encryptions. They had burst on to the national scene a little over two years ago by successfully reworking the computer systems of a large national insurance group that had fallen victim to an invasive cyber attack. Marcus had been trying to land a project of this size for quite some time. He knew the company was ready to move to the next level, but due to their size and relative newness, they had been passed over for the large scale national projects time and time again.

In the end, it was a classic case of right place, right time that had given AST their big shot. The company had been asked to attend a fundraiser for one of their larger non profit clients. After losing a bet with Indra, Marcus had been the one selected to represent the group. After an hour of mindless mingling, he had thankfully run into an old college friend. The two men, both of whom despised the forced interactions of these events, had found a table in the back of the room and spent the better part of the evening pounding whiskeys and catching up on life. As it turned out, his friend was now a senior VP of the insurance group that had been attacked and by the end of the night, AST had been hired to attempt the security upgrade.

A month later, they had succeeded where two other national security groups had failed. All of a sudden, projects started to pour in and with each success, his little company became harder and harder for the big firms to ignore. It wasn’t long before offers started to come in to purchase AST, all of which Marcus had flat refused. Marcus was an intelligent man and saw the offers for what they were. As AST’s success grew, so did the sums being offered to buy them out. At times, he had been tempted to take the pay day, but in the end, it was his competitiveness that had kept him in the game. If all of these large one hundred plus employee companies were threatened by his twenty man operation, then he knew they had built something truly special.

In the early years, he and Indra had tirelessly traveled the nation scouting and retaining some of the country’s top young IT specialists. As word of what they were achieving started to travel in the small IT circle, they no longer had to seek out talent. When Marcus had started AST, he would have never imagined the resumes that were now crossing his desk. He often joked that if he were to apply today, he wasn’t so sure he would even get an interview.

There had been times they had thought about expanding, but ultimately, Marcus, Indra, and Sinclair had decided to keep AST small. Growth came with its own set of problems and they all recognized that their tightness as a company had been the key to their success thus far. Sure, they could have doubled if not tripled their profits by adding another ten to fifteen employees, but at what risk. There was no need to be greedy. As it was, they were already all becoming very wealthy. For now, knowing that they made the other companies in the field extremely nervous was all the motivation they needed.

Of all the projects they had taken on, this current one was by far the most complicated. It seemed like everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong. Thankfully, instead of breaking under the pressure, his staff had really come together and worked through each issue with an intensity that made him excited for the future. They all knew what this project meant for AST and were eager to prove that there was nothing they couldn’t do. Though they were all confident in their product, no one could shake the feeling that there was still a hidden issue out there that would probably show up at the worst possible time. If they had learned one thing over the last few years, it was to expect the curve ball. That concept had actually become the company’s inside joke, so much so that Marcus had stocked the staff room with various baseball themed coffee mugs. Indra was also known to randomly place baseballs around the office….a constant reminder of what they were up against.

Marcus loved his company and the people with which he worked. His favorite part of each day was the daily AST staff meeting. The entire staff would sit around the large wooden table in the conference room and brainstorm every possible problem that was still out there on a project, regardless of how ridiculous it sounded. Every day, as he looked around the table at his team, his chest would swell with pride. With each project, they were pushing the boundaries of their field and for that, he was immensely proud.

As he always did, Marcus had taken it upon himself to personally check every line of code for this project. The project was incredibly dense and the task had consumed his every waking moment over the last few weeks. Now that the finish line was less than a week away, everyone was on edge. In anticipation of the intense week ahead, Marcus had insisted that the entire development team stay off their computers for the weekend. They all needed to rest in preparation for the final push towards Wednesday’s presentation and subsequent launch. Even though he had given his team a clear mandate, he knew he was likely not to follow his own directive. As the deadline approached, he was finding it harder and harder to shut his mind off. At the core, AST was his company and the weight of that responsibility was not lost on him. This project was ambitious and he had been the one insistent that they take it on. If it failed…

Shaking himself from that particular thought, Marcus rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly as he attempted to force his eyes to regain their focus on the section of code he had been staring at for the last ten minutes. With a soft growl, he finally gave in to his exhaustion and softly closed his Macbook, placing it on the coffee table in front of him.

With a small stretch, he rose from the couch and grabbed his phone and laptop. Turning off some lights as he went, he walked to the small bar between the living room and kitchen and placed his laptop onto the wireless charging dock. He opened the glass doors to his liquor cabinet, slowly letting his eyes drift from one bottle to the next as he tried to decide the needed liquid to calm his mind. After filling his glass with a smooth 20 year old scotch that had been gifted to him by a former client, he walked out onto his deck with hopes of washing away the stresses of the day. The wind was decisively stronger than it had been earlier that evening and the smell of rain was heavy in the air. Lightning flashed across the sky, and he closed his eyes silently counting the number of seconds until he heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. He had always loved storms, even as a child. There was something about the sound of thunder in the distance and rain heavy on a roof that had always relaxed him.

He felt the wind shift from the west and the unmistaken sound of rain as it started to move across the lake. He walked over to his favorite chair and sat down, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back against the cushion to listen. The percussive pattern of the heavy rain now falling was hypnotizing and for the first time that day, he felt absolutely at peace. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and brought his glass to his lips. He took a long slow sip, savoring the feeling of the cool liquid as it slipped down his throat - warming his body from the inside out. His phone lit up on the table with some sort of notification and he smiled as he remembered the video message he had received earlier that evening. He picked up the phone and swiped the screen, quickly retrieving the message. He pressed play and a small giggle filled the room.

“Hi Marcus! It’s me, Clarke! I just wanted to remind you that my birthday is on Sunday. I’m going to be FIVE!” The little blonde held up her hand and counted her five fingers, showing them proudly to the camera when she had finished. “You better be coming to my party because I’m your favorite God daughter and Mommy got me a unicorn cake! It’s going to be so cool! Oh!!! And I miss you soooooooooo much! I haven’t seen you in forever!” She looked up at the person that was recording her message and scrunched her face in confusion.

“Huh?”

Marcus chuckled softly as he listened to Abby in the background prompting her. The little girl nodded at her mom and returned her gaze to the camera, waving as if Marcus was at the other end of the phone looking back at her.

“Hi Marcus! It’s still me! You need to be here by 3 on Sunday.” Her eyes moved back to Abby as a quizzical smile formed on her face.

A small laugh bubbled up from his chest as he watched the girl make a face at her mother before dropping her head into her hands in embarrassment.

“Sorry, I forgot!” She pointed her small finger at the camera and did her best to look serious. “No excuses mister! You better be here or I'll be sad on my birthday and I KNOW you won’t let me be sad on the best day of the year!” She tried to hold her face, but after a few seconds, she started to laugh. Her scowl quickly replaced by a bright smile. Clarke very much resembled her father’s side of the family, but that smile.. that smile was all Abby.

A few seconds later, the image of his best friend filled the screen. “You’re welcome anytime after 12, but if you want to avoid the chaos, the party kiddos will be gone by 3. Jake’s cooking ridiculously large steaks, so don’t eat before you come. Call me in the morning! Love you!”

The screen went black and Marcus placed the phone back on the cushion beside him. His hand lingered on the device as his fingers mindlessly tapped on the now dark screen. He was trying to remember exactly how much time had passed since he had seen a member of the Griffin household in person. Too long…

This project had consumed so much of his time over the last few weeks and that between Abby’s schedule and his, they had not seen each other in almost six weeks… a new record for them. While they still texted almost daily, and talked on the phone every few days, it wasn’t the same. Abby must have finally had enough of his work-induced hiatus from her life, because she knew damn well that the only person on the planet that had more power over him than she did, was Clarke. It was no mistake that Clarke had been the one reminding him about her party.  
Abby knew the one way to ensure that he would be there was to have Clarke invite him directly. No matter how crazy his life was at the moment, she knew he would never risk breaking that little girl’s heart and that little girl loved her Uncle Marcus.

He rested his head back on the cushion and closed his eyes. Five.. God, where had the time gone. The night of Clarke’s birth was still so fresh in his mind that It seemed impossible that five years had passed. He shook his head slowly as a contented smile grew on his face. If you had gone back in time and told twelve year old Marcus Kane that one day he would have a front row seat to the birth of his best friend’s first child, he would have thought you were insane. But through an unexpected turn of events, that is exactly what had happened.

Five Years Earlier

“Isn’t this better than being alone?” Marcus said smiling as he took another bite of his cake.

Abby smiled up at her friend, “Chocolate cheesecake was a nice touch.”

“Hey, if I’ve learned one thing over the last twenty years, it’s that the best way to convince you to do what I want is to ply you with chocolate.” He smiled devilishly at her causing her to shake her head. “Convince….you mean manipulate..” she challenged.

Abby took one last bite and pushed her plate across to Marcus. “Oh my god, take this away before I eat the entire thing!”

“The baby needs it, Abby.” He said chuckling softly.

“Yeah, but my thighs don’t!” she quickly challenged back. “Now, if you care about me at all, you’ll make this disappear…”

He did as she asked, pulling the plate closer and finishing off her last few bites.

“Thank you for dinner Marcus. It was delicious..” she looked over at him and smiled softly as their eyes met.

“Glad you finally came to your senses.” he said with a sly smile. “I know you’re the doctor, but I didn’t like the idea of you being here all alone. You’re due in what, three weeks?”

“God, you sound like Jake. You both worry too much!” She said with just the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice. She softened as she watched his eyes fall from her to the table. She moved her hand so it was resting on top of his, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “But I love you for it. Really...you’re too good to me and I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He turned his hand slightly so her hand fell into his. “You’re my best friend, Abby. Taking care of you was in the contract, remember?…”

Tears started to well in her eyes as Marcus did his best to hide the grin growing on his face.

“Stop it!” she giggled as she reached up to wipe an unruly tear from her cheek.

“What! It’s adorable... I’ve seen you cry more in the past few months than I have the entire time I’ve known you.”

She smacked his hand playfully. “I do have to admit, I won’t miss these hormones! Eric, my resident, brought me homemade pumpkin muffins this morning and I was a blubbering mess! It’s embarrassing!”

Marcus stood up and started to clear the table. After a last sip of her water, Abby stood and started towards the sink.

She made it three steps before Marcus turned and frowned at her. “And what do you think you’re doing?”

“The dishes...” she said slowly with emphasis as she motioned for the sink.

With a frown she watched his eyebrows knit together and his hands drop to his hips. Oh.. she knew that look.

“Marcus....”

“I’m cleaning up! No discussion.“ he said flatly.

“You made dinner! The least I can do is help clean up!” she pouted.

“Nope! You promised to let me take care of you while Jake’s out of town and that is what I intend on doing.”

She exhaled in frustration. She was so tired of everyone walking on eggshells around her. “The text didn’t say take care of me, Marcus. It said keep me company.” she challenged as her eyes narrowed.

He shook his head as the corners of his lips turned up just slightly.  
“Nope...it clearly said take care of you and YOU agreed.” He tried to hide the amusement behind his eyes. “Check if you don’t believe me. You signed up for this!”

“You’re impossible.” she muttered under her breath as he closed the distance between them and wordlessly took the plates from her.

“Abby, please don’t fight me on this. You’ve had a long day, you need to.. ”

She held up a finger to him. “Marcus Kane, don’t finish that sentence.. ”

“Well...it is true isn’t it?” he said turning back towards her and leaning back against the counter behind him.

“I feel fine.”

“That may be, but you’re pushing yourself too hard and you know it. I know for a fact that Callie advised you to start cutting back on your hours weeks ago. Last I checked, you are still working full time and haven’t slowed your pace at all.” He did nothing to hide the annoyance in his voice. He never could understand how someone so amazing at taking care of everyone else was so horrible at taking care of herself.

“Says the man that sleeps an average of what.. 2 hours a night!” She snapped back, matching his tone.

“I’m not the one growing another human, Abby!” She narrowed her eyes at him. He knew he was entering dangerous territory, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“Why do you always make it so hard to take care of you! ” His words had come out with more bite than he had intended and he flinched as her eyes immediately filled with unshed tears. Quickly closing the gap between them, he pulled her into his chest, placing a quick kiss to the top of her head. “Hey..” He broke away from her just enough to put his hand under her chin, raising her head so she had no choice but to look at him. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean..”

“I know..” She whispered back. “I’m sorry, it’s not you...I’m just ..” She rolled her eyes as she exhaled loudly.. “I’m just frustrated and hormonal.” She said in defeat as she shook her head. “Every time I turn around someone is telling me to sit down and rest..that I’m doing too much. Hell, I even had a patient’s mom lecture me today that I had no business still working at nine months. Why doesn’t anyone trust that I know my limits? I would never do anything that would endanger...” She bit her lip, as the words caught in her throat.

“I know....” He smiled softly down at her as he continued, his hand gently cupping her face. “You know, this amazing doctor I know once told me that resting doesn’t make you weak.” She locked eyes with him, recognizing her words echoing back at her.

“Sounds like a smart woman.” she said quietly as she let her face relax into his hand.

“Smartest person I know.” He wiped away a tear with his thumb before leaning down to place another kiss to her forehead. His hands moved to her shoulders and he looked intently into her eyes. “Abby, you’re allowed to feel frustrated...and I get it… You’re feeling smothered by the attention. Right?” She dropped her eyes, no longer able to hold his gaze. It annoyed her sometimes how easily he could read her.

“Abby..” he paused, waiting on her eyes to return to his. “Please just humor me tonight. Let me do this, not because I think you’re fragile or you aren’t capable of taking care of yourself but because you’re my best friend and I’m allowed to spoil you.” He smiled softly down at her and frowned as a single tear slipped down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away in frustration, obviously annoyed with her inability to control her emotions at the moment.

“I don’t like feeling helpless.”

“That’s not what this is and you know it.” He held her gaze for another moment before dropping his arms. “Go pick a movie Abby and get on the couch…I'll be right behind you.”

Wordlessly, she put her hand on his chest patting it gently. After taking a second to get her emotions in check, she said a quiet thank you and reluctantly turned from him, disappearing into the living room.

Ten minutes later, Marcus turned off the lights in the kitchen, grabbed his wine glass from the table, and went to join Abby. He walked around the room turning off a few more lights before the image on the tv caught his attention. He heard her swallow a small laugh before turning and giving her an incredulous look.

“Seriously Abby?”

“You told me to pick..” she said coily as she smiled innocently up at him.

“The last time you watched Signs you couldn’t sleep for a week!”

“Umm, I’m pretty sure it bothered you more than it bothered me.”

“The movie didn’t bother me...it was the clicking alien sounds you kept making.” A small shutter ran though his body as the memory came back to him. Marcus thought back to their post graduate years, when they had last lived together. Marcus didn’t scare easily, but the sounds of the aliens made in the movie had really unnerved him. Abby, knowing him the way she did, had immediately picked up on it and had spent the entire week post movie torturing him with the sounds whenever possible...middle of the night, first thing in the morning when he got out of the shower. “You were relentless!”

“I’m sorry that was pretty funny.”

“We’ll see how funny it is tonight when you are seeing aliens out of every window. You’ve been warned not to do this..don’t come in waking me up to protect you.”

“I thought that was the entire reason you were here?” she said with a not so convincing pout.

“Do you torture Jake like this?”

“You love it and so does he!” she said, pulling back her blanket for him to sit down beside her.

“That man’s a saint!” Marcus said chuckling as he helped spread the blanket back over the two of them - adjusting his body on the couch to give her the space she needed to comfortably snuggle into his chest.

“Probably won’t sleep much anyway. Clarke has decided she prefers to be awake at night these last few days.” She gently rubbed her belly as she relaxed her head into his chest.

“Do I need to have a talk with her?”

Abby smiled. “Maybe she’ll listen to her Uncle Marcus more than her mother does.”

He chuckled lightly, smiling at the thought of his future god daughter.

“I can’t believe there is going to be two of you soon!”

She smiled. “You and Jake are in trouble.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Hopefully, for both of your sakes, she’ll turn out more like Jake.”

“She’s going to be perfect, Abby. Your passion, brains, and beauty.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Jake’s patience…She’ll be a force of nature.”

She shifted slightly as her daughter began to wake in her belly.

“Give me your hand.” She said softly as she reached over and guided his large hand to a specific spot on her left side. “Did you feel that?”

Marcus’s eyes widened. “Wow! That’s a lot stronger than the last time I felt her.”

“She’s almost doubled in size in the last month or so.”

“How does that not hurt?”

“It only really hurts when she pushes on my ribs.”

“Better you than me!” she gently elbowed him in the stomach as he faked injury.

She settled back into his chest and placed her hand on his, holding it to the spot on her round belly. She smiled up at him, seeing the look of contentment that had returned to his face.

“I’ve missed this.” She said simply. “It’s been entirely too long since I’ve had you all to myself.” She said sheepishly, as she challenged him to say what she knew was really going through his mind.

His smile twisted as he resisted the urge to remind her that she’d been the one that had run off and gotten married, changing everything.

“Me too.” he said, not taking the bait. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, reaching behind her to turn off the last illuminated lamp in the room as she pressed play on the remote.

He rested his head on hers, enjoying the warmth of his best friend beside him. When he was sure her attention was back on the tv, he shut his eyes and enjoyed the little kicks of the baby below his hand. For a moment, he allowed his mind to go where he knew it shouldn’t. Usually he was able to keep his true feelings for his best friend tucked away deep in his heart, but in moments like this, when they shared these intimate moments, his thoughts were hard to contain. Since Abby had married Jake, these little moments alone together had become, understandably, far less frequent. So having her there in his arms, feeling the little life inside her move under his hands, it was impossible to not to let his mind wander.

If he was truly honest with himself, he knew he loved Abby more than he should. He would be lying if he said there wasn’t a part of him that wished that things had turned out differently for them. There was a time when they had been heading down that path. He had wanted it, and he was almost positive that she had wanted it as well. But as life goes, choices had been made and he had let that life slip through his fingers. His only consolation was that she was still a huge part of his life, even if it wasn’t in the way he wanted.

After the movie, the two had gone to bed, Abby in her room and Marcus across the hall in the guest room. He had taken a shower, brushed his teeth, and had just slipped under the covers to catch up on email on his phone when there was a soft knock at his door.

A knowing smirk grew on his face as the door slowly opened. He was about to give her hell about already being scared, but his words stuck in his throat as the light from the hallway lit her face. She didn’t have to say a word. He saw her grimace in pain and he knew why she was there before she could say it.

Marcus had driven Abby to the hospital and stayed with her throughout her labor.He had tried to call Jake, but with the time difference, he knew he likely wouldn’t get the messages until the morning.

Abby’s labor had progressed quickly for it having been her first baby. Four hours after arriving, she was ready to start pushing. Marcus had tried to excuse himself at that point, but when he saw the pleading look on his best friend’s face, he knew he couldn’t leave her. In retrospect, he was so thankful that he had been there for Abby and to witness Clarke’s birth, even if it had caused some awkwardness between him and Jake in the months following. From the moment Clarke had taken her first breath, he knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect her. In an instant, that little girl owned him, just like her mother did.

Marcus had truly loved watching Clarke grow from an impossibly tiny infant to the strong willed, independent, intelligent little girl she was becoming. It amazed him how much she changed every time he saw her. She was growing up so quickly as evidenced in the video he had just watched. Realizing how much she had changed just over the last few weeks made his chest tighten. She was losing her baby face and transitioning from a little child into a little person, with thoughts of her own and oh so many opinions. Seeing the adorable little girl blowing kisses to him and saying that she missed him in the video Abby had sent absolutely gutted Marcus. He knew that Abby had put her up to it, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. He loved that little girl like she was his own flesh and blood. She was the closest thing he had in the world to a child of his own.

His relationship with the two Griffin women was a careful balancing game he had to play with his heart. They were his only real family, his entire world...and yet they were not truly his.

They belonged to Jake. A fact that was not lost on Marcus. He was always careful not to cross the unspoken line that was put in place the day Abby had married Jake. She had made her choice that day and he had always respected it. He was just thankful that Jake entering Abby’s life hadn’t meant that he had to exit it.

Marcus stretched his long legs out to rest on the table before him and grabbed the tv remote, pulling himself out of his head. He scrolled through his DVR before settling on Schitt's Creek. He had been hesitant to watch the show at first, but Abby had been insistent that he would love it. As always, she had been right. An hour had passed before he knew it and as much as he was enjoying the show, his eyes were heavy with fatigue. He paused the show and was about to get up when his phone buzzed on the couch. He looked at his watch… 1:45am. Knowing there was only one person that would call him this late, he smiled and quickly reached for the phone.

As part of her job as a pediatric thoracic specialist at Arkadia Children’s Hospital, Abby was required to cover three overnight shifts at the hospital a month. Thankfully, being a children’s hospital with no evening ER unit, the evenings were usually quiet and uneventful. Occasionally, there would be nights where it seemed that everything that could go wrong at one time would, but usually her nights were spent checking on patients and catching up on paperwork. She hated being away from her family, but the one perk was that she usually could sneak away to her office and catch up with her best friend.

Marcus looked forward to his late night talks with Abby, although he did prefer when they happened on the weekend so he could sleep in afterwards. While Marcus’ schedule could be heavy and he could work crazy hours preparing for launches, the demands on him were nothing compared to Abby’s schedule. Between the hospital, her teaching responsibilities through the med school, Jake and Clarke, he didn’t quite know how she managed it all. She was always coming and going, but did it with such ease that you’d think there were five of her, not one.

He, however, was one of only a handful of people that knew the real Abigail Griffin. The Abby that pushed herself too hard and sacrificed her own well being to make sure that everyone else’s needs were met before hers. The Abby that would work harder than everyone around her and would make sure that every ball in the air never hit the ground. The Abby that loved so deeply that she went out of her way to make everyone in her life felt loved and important. The Abby that admittedly took on too much, but refused to ever do anything less than 110%.

Even their late night talks were Abby putting Marcus’s needs ahead of her own. Marcus usually had dinner with the Griffin’s every other week, but while he was there, Abby’s attention, rightfully so, would always be split between her family and Marcus. So instead of sleeping when she wasn’t needed at the hospital, Abby would often call Marcus so they could catch up with little interruption. As much as he loved their talks, he would always try to get her to get off the phone so she could rest. She would always insist she was fine and remind him that what she really needed was to talk to her best friend. Selfishly, he was always thankful that she would choose to stay on the phone with him. Over the last six years, their relationship had changed. She was still the single most important person in his life and his status in her life never faltered, but there were others now. Marcus had learned to share her first with Jake and then with Clarke. He had always been fearful that at some point, his place of importance would start to slip within her world, but it never did.

Marcus smiled as he pressed the accept button and held the phone to his ear.

“You know, one of these days I’m actually going to be sleeping when you call..” he said light heartedly into the receiver.

He was already smiling in anticipation of one of her smart ass responses but instead was met with silence.

“Abby, You there?”

He heard a sniff and then a deep breath, followed by a soft “yeah..”

As soon as he heard the tone of her voice, he sat up and pushed the phone closer to his ear, his heart already pounding in his chest. “Abby? What’s wrong?”

“I..um.. Marcus..” she took another deep breath. He could tell she was fighting back tears. “I think my marriage is over..” she managed to get out before a sob escaped her lips.

“What?..” His mind was racing now. “What happened? Where are you?”

“I'm in my car… I just left the house.” She swallowed down another sob as she tried desperately to control her emotions. “Can Clarke and I stay with you for a few days?”

He didn’t know what had happened, but if she wasn’t staying in her house, something serious had happened between her and Jake.

“Of course... Are you on your way here now?”

“Yeah.. Is that ok?”

“Absolutely, ..” He stopped as thunder rumbled again in the background. The first storm system had passed, but there was another already on its tail. “hey..um pull around back and park in the garage. This rain is intense.”

He paused for a moment, his mind processing that she was out driving in this storm when she was obviously very upset. “Are you sure you’re ok to drive? This storm is really nasty Abby. I can come get you..”

“No, I’m already halfway to you.” She said softly.

“You’re sure?” He said gently, not quite convinced.

“Yeah…I’m going slow and being careful.” He heard her release a slow deliberate breath.

“Ok, see you in a few.”

“Marcus...”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.” she said softly as the call disconnected.

Marcus sat back and ran his hands through his hair.

“Fuck!” he said harshly to the empty room. “What did you do Jake?”


	2. The Aftermath

After the call with Abby ended, Marcus quickly went back inside to tidy up a bit. He first went to the guest room to put fresh sheets on the bed. After making sure the room was ready for his guests, he popped his head into the guest bath to ensure it was also supplied with fresh towels, an unopened toothpaste, and new toothbrushes. A small smile danced briefly across his face as he remembered his mother explaining to him as a small child the importance of hospitality. “It’s the little things you do for them that let them know how much they mean to you...how glad you are they are there.” She would say in her sing song southern accent that was still fairly strong despite her years of living in California. Though he had tried hard to block out most of that part of his life, little pieces of his childhood still surfaced from time to time. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew she would be pleased that had paid attention to her life lessons. Once he was satisfied that it was ready for Abby and Clarke, he went back down stairs to wait on them to arrive.

Ten long minutes later, he saw the headlights of Abby’s Audi SUV cresting the slight hill that was his driveway. He waited until she had pulled into the garage and turned off the car before closing the heavy metal door on the storm raging outside. The rain had really intensified since she had called, making him more and more nervous as the minutes passed. Now that she was safely here, he exhaled, letting go of the knot that had formed in his chest. Despite the situation, he felt better now that he could physically see that she and Clarke were safe. His eyes met Abby’s for a moment before he walked down the stairs to help her inside. Even through the rain drops on the windshield he could see her red rimmed eyes. 

He walked around to the drivers side, opening the door for her. She stepped out of the car and immediately fell hard into his embrace, the way she always did. He placed a lingering kiss on her forehead while he wrapped her in his protective arms. After a few moments, he released her just enough to look down at her face. He could see her trying to hold herself together and the moment their eyes met, her face crumpled. 

He frowned down at her. “Come on, let’s get you both inside and you can fill me in.” She silently nodded and started to move towards the rear door of the SUV to retrieve her daughter.

He gently took her arm, stopping her movement. “Go on inside Abby. I’ll get her.” Again, she slowly nodded in response and took a step back so Marcus could move past her. He heard her exhale a slow, controlled breath as he passed. She hated feeling out of control and he knew she was trying desperately to keep her emotions in check ..at least until Clark was safely tucked away for the night. 

He opened the passenger door and carefully started to release Clarke from the five point harness. Unlike her mother, Clarke was an extremely heavy sleeper. She barely moved as Marcus pulled her from the car seat and scooped her into his arms. He gently wrapped her blanket over her body and grabbed her favorite blue puppy, the one he had given to her as an infant. He motioned for Abby to go ahead of him and the three of them entered his house. 

“I’ll get her settled and meet you in the living room, ok?” He said with as much reassurance as he could infuse into his voice. Silently, she walked right towards the living room and he left towards the stairs.

Once in the guest room, Marcus gently placed Clarke on the bed. He pulled the covers over her and tucked her puppy in the crook of her arm. Marcus gently brushed one of her blonde curls off her face and placed a quick kiss to her forehead. He turned off the small lamp beside the bed and was almost to the door when her little voice called out to him.

“Marcus?” 

“Hey princess.” He said softly as he returned to the bed and knelt down beside the bed, reaching up to gently stroke her forehead. 

“Are we at your house?”

“Yes baby. I think you and your mom are going to spend the night here.”

“Where is Mommy?”

“She’s downstairs. Do you want me to get her?”

She shook her head. “Are we here because Mommy and Daddy were fighting?”

“Yeah..” he said gently, trying to keep his face calm for her. “You heard them fighting huh?” 

She nodded and clutched her puppy a bit closer. 

“Mommy was mad at Daddy because Becca was there.” 

Marcus froze as the reality of Clarke’s words washed over him. He had to consciously tell himself to breath as she continued. “When Mommy has to work at night at the hospital, Becca comes over to keep Daddy company. After Mommy leavesl, Daddy tucks me into bed and then he and Becca play in his bedroom. He said I couldn’t tell Mommy or she’d be sad that she had to be at work while they played.”

A knot formed in Marcus’ stomach as the pieces started to fall into place. He tried to keep his face warm and relaxed for Clarke’s sake.

“Has this been going on for a while?”

She nodded.

“So your Mommy came home and found your Dad and Becca together?” 

Marcus felt sick as the words left his mouth. Of all the things that he had expected to be the cause of tonight's events, this one never crossed his mind. 

Clarke nodded as she looked down at her puppy.

She looked up at Marcus as tears started to form in her eyes. 

“Mommy came home early from the hospital and came in to kiss me goodnight. She left my room and that's when the yelling started. I guess she caught them playing. I came out of my room but Daddy yelled at me to shut my door.” Marcus listened as the little girl relayed the night's events. “They kept yelling so I opened the door again and Mommy was trying to come down the hall to my room. Daddy wouldn’t move out of her way. She pushed him and then he grabbed her and pushed her into the wall. She was crying and I think she was hurt.” A single tear slipped down her cheek. 

Marcus’ stomach dropped at those words. The thought of Jake physically hurting Abby made him sick. Marcus has grown up in an abusive situation and had zero tolerance for that kind of behavior. Especially when it involved his friend. “He didn’t hurt you did he?” 

Her head dropped as she shook her head no. “I wanted to go help her, but when I started to go to her, she told me to stay. Daddy let go of her when he saw me. I went back to my room until she came to get me.” She stopped for a minute. “I should have helped her. She’s my mommy and she always takes care of me. She was hurt and I should have helped her.” 

He smiled at the young girl. “Hey.. She’s going to be fine, Clarke. I know you are a protector like your mom, but you did the right thing going back to your room. I’m so sorry you had to see all of that but you’re here now. I’m going to take care of you and your mommy...ok?” 

He put his hand under the little girl's chin and raised it so her eyes met his. “Do you remember what I always tell you?” 

She smiled up at Marcus with her deep blue eyes. “That soccer is better than football, no matter what my mommy says?” He couldn’t help the small smile that grew on his face. God, he loved that little girl.

“Well that is important too, but what’s the other thing I always tell you.”

“That you love me.” She said with conviction as she smiled brightly.

“Always...and what else?” 

“That you’ll always protect me.” 

“That’s right!” he said with emphasis as he gently tapped the top of her nose with his finger. 

“You don’t need to be scared. You’re safe here.” He said softly as he pulled the little girl into his embrace. 

“I need you to do me a favor, ok?” 

“What?” 

“I need to go check on your mommy now. If you go to sleep quickly for me, I'll take you to Roan’s Cafe for blueberry waffles in the morning.” 

Her eyes grew wide. Roan’s was her favorite restaurant. 

“Can I have hot chocolate too?”

“Anything you want.” 

“Deal!” She said reaching out to shake his hand. 

“Go to sleep Clarke”. He waited for her to snuggle back down into the bed before pulling the covers back over her. He placed another quick kiss to her forehead and gently tussled her hair. “Good night squirt.” 

“Good night. I love you Marcus.” She said in a sleepy voice. 

“I love you too sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning.”

Marcus left the bedroom, pulling the door half closed. He peered back through the crack and saw the little girl snuggle deeper under the covers with her puppy and close her eyes. Satisfied that she was actually going to keep her end of the bargain, he quickly made his way down the stairs into the living room. 

He paused at the bottom of the stairs when he saw Abby. She was standing next to the large open windows of the living room staring out at the lake behind his house. The lighting was striking wildly on the horizon, each strike illuminating the trees dancing wildly in the wind. The rain continued its assault on the roof and the thunder echoed over the water. Temporarily distracted by the storm, he shifted his eyes back to Abby. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her body and he could detect a small shake to her shoulders that told him she was crying. She looked so small, so defeated… something that he rarely saw from her. 

He had only seen her like this a few times over their almost 20 year friendship - once when her father died and another time when one of her favorite young patients had died unexpectedly after a frustrating four year battle with lung cancer. The girl’s death had rattled Abby to her core. It had happened her first year on staff at Arkadia Children’s Hospital, but she had been working with the girl since she was a resident. Abby had been so upset at her death, so caught off guard, that she shut down. He remembered getting a call from Callie, one of her close friends at the hospital, asking him to come and get Abby because she was scared for her to drive herself home. Callie was stuck on a double shift and Jake had been out of town at the time. Abby had been inconsolable that night and had spent the next weeks obsessively going through the girl’s charts trying to figure out what she had missed that had led to that outcome. 

Abby was the strongest person he knew and the type of person that was usually so in control of her emotions, that when you saw this side of her, you knew something was very wrong. 

He walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned towards him and he immediately pulled her tightly into his arms. She buried her head in his chest and he felt her body start to shake as tears overwhelmed her. She had been holding herself together as best she could until she was safe in her best friend’s arms. It was only then that she finally allowed the last of her walls to fall. He gently guided them to the couch where he held her as she rode out her tears. He wanted to ask her exactly what had happened, but decided to be patient. She would tell him when she was ready. So instead, he just held her, placed gentle kisses to the top of her head, and whispered words of assurance.


	3. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby wake up to a new reality.

Abby slowly opened her eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the light that was now intrusively filling the room. Her head was pounding and she could feel the puffiness in her face. She rolled away from the window and buried her head in the pile of pillows beside her. She knew she had slept, but she still felt absolutely depleted. She took a deep breath, inhaling the faint scent of laundry detergent mixed with Marcus’s cologne. She smiled softly as the scent worked its way through her olfactory senses, calming her in a way that only Marcus could do.

Gradually, she reopened her eyes and looked around the room, not quite remembering how she had gotten there. She remembered crying in Marcus’s arms in the living room and curling up on the couch beside him, but for the life of her, she didn’t remember climbing the stairs to go to bed. She did, somewhat hazily, remember the words “don’t go” leaving her lips as he tucked her into his bed. 

She stretched out, a soft purr leaving her before she could stop it. For a man, Marcus had the best taste in things like sheets,towels, and well..everything. Leave it to him to have the most comfortable sheets she had ever slept in. She smiled as the mattress adjusted to perfectly support her body as she moved. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a great mattress of her own at home, but this one made hers feel like a old dorm room mattress by comparison. She remembered when he had first purchased it. It was one of those ridiculously large California king memory foam mattresses and she had given him unbelievable amounts of grief over the price. Now that she had actually slept on it, she had to admit it was indeed like sleeping on a damn cloud. 

She looked over at the small black table beside the bed and saw her phone sitting on his wireless charger. That man and his toys… 

Stuck to the screen was a blue post-it note. She reached out, quicking retrieving her phone and returning to the pile of pillows. 

Took Clarke to Roan’s for breakfast. We’ll be back around 10. I’ll bring back your usual. If you want something else, let me know. Make yourself at home. xxx Marcus

God bless that man, she thought with a small smile. 

She removed the post-it note from the screen and frowned as her eyes paused on the missed calls and text notifications. 9 missed calls and 25 new texts. She rolled her eyes, knowing they were all from Jake. She understood she was going to have to talk to him at some point, but she wasn’t ready. She needed time to process what had happened and she was damned if he was going to rush her. Curiosity finally got the better of her and against her better judgement, she opened the messenger app and quickly scanned the messages.

3:30am Please call me...I know I screwed up. I'm sorry, this isn’t how I wanted you to find out.

3:36am Pick up Abby...please…

3:45am Abby…. I just want a chance to explain. It’s not what it looks like. 

She scoffed at that one. I walk in on you fucking another woman in our bed while our daughter is asleep down the hall and it’s not what it looks like. Nice try Jake...

4:00am Your location service is off. I'm assuming you’re at Marcus’ house. 

4:02 am Please just let me know you both are safe. The storm was bad when you left.

4:08 am Pick up your damn phone Abby!

She scrolled to the bottom of the messages. The last text was less than 20 minutes ago.

8:04am Abby, please come home and let’s talk about this. I know I’ve put us in an impossible situation and I screwed up but I love you and Clarke. I want to fix this, fix us. I can’t lose you. 

Bile rose in her throat. Fix this...fix us… There was nothing to fix. How could he possibly think they could come back from this. He cheats on her, gets caught, and all of a sudden he wants to “fix things”. She dropped the phone on the bed and closed her eyes. Fix things… the words bounced around her head. Tears started to form in her eyes again as the reality sunk in. She knew she would never be able to forgive him for this. It was over...her marriage was over. 

Abby had always been good at compartmentalizing. As a doctor, it was a skill that had served her well over the years. But that wasn’t going to be an option this time. She couldn’t file Jake neatly away as someone that was no longer in her life. They had a daughter. A daughter who loved her father. How was she going to navigate the survival of that relationship when she didn’t even want to be in the same room as Jake. 

Her eyes widened as her mind went to Clarke.

Oh God...her birthday was tomorrow. Her hands flew to cover her face. She and Jake were supposed to spend the day getting ready for her party on Sunday. “Fuck!” she said out loud in unbridaled frustration. God, she couldn’t cancel the party. She couldn’t do that to Clarke. She had been talking about her party non stop for over two weeks. She had four of her friends coming over to swim and they had a special unicorn cake made for her that she was supposed to pick up at 3pm. She took a deep breath. “One thing at a time Abby.” She said mentally coaching herself. 

She forced herself up and out of bed. As much as she wanted to hide in that bed forever, she knew that wasn’t a luxury she had. 

Walking into Marcus’s bathroom, she stopped in front of the large marble countertop and cringed at the sight of herself in the mirror. She was still in her clothes from last night. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were puffy from the night of crying. She tried to remember if she had any clothes in her car. Usually she did keep a few things in the trunk as back ups for when she had to unexpectedly change her scrubs or clothes. She did work with children after all, and though the nurses were unfortunately the usual victims, at least once a month, she would end up with some kind of bodily fluid on her clothing. It was the nature of the beast in the pediatric world. 

She walked downstairs and found her keys on the kitchen counter where she had left them. Grabbing them, she went into the garage and opened the back of her SUV, breathing a sigh of relief as her eyes found their target. As she dug through the bag and sighed loudly as she realized that all she had to work with was a sports bra, panties, and a pair of leggings. She grabbed the bag and returned to Marcus’s bedroom. She paused when she walked past his closet, deciding that one of his t shirts would work until she could figure out her next steps. She wasn’t ready to think that far ahead yet. 

She flipped on the closet light and smiled softly as she shook her head in amusement. His closet was always so tidy that at any given moment, it probably could be featured in a magazine ad. Marcus kept his entire life, home and work, as carefully organized and neat as he did himself. He was by far the most disciplined and organized person she had ever met. As a doctor, she knew his need for order danced the line of compulsion but as his lifelong friend, she understood it. Even though they had never directly discussed it, she understood his need for order. It was deeply rooted in his past - his way of maintaining control after the chaos of his childhood. 

Her eyes quickly scanned the various sections of the closet until finally settling on his dark blue Manchester United tee. She had given it to him for one of his birthdays some time in their teen years, but it had quickly become her favorite. There was a time when it probably had spent more time in her closet than his but much to her dismay, he would never let her keep it. It was huge on her petite frame, but was soft and comfortable in a way that only an old well loved shirt could be. 

She pulled the shirt off its hanger and a devious smile danced across her face. Her eyes drifted across his collection of empty hangers, organized by color (of course) on the left side of the closet. Though Abby may have understood his need for order, that didn’t mean that she didn’t enjoy exploiting it for her amusement when the opportunity presented itself. One of her favorite things to do when she came over to his place was to take something random, like a remote control or a book, and put it where it wasn’t supposed to be. It drove him crazy and it amused her to no end. 

She chewed her bottom lip as she looked at the collection of hangers, fighting the urge to put the white hanger in the middle of the vacant cherry wood hangers reserved for his suits. Ultimately, she put the hanger in its proper place, deciding to let it go this time. After all, she and her daughter had just invaded his life in the middle of the night.

She returned to the bathroom, opening the glass door to his shower, and quickly turning the handle all the way to the left. Of all the features she loved about his house, his shower was close to the top of the list, trailing closely behind the large picture windows of the living room and the expansive rear patio that overlooked the lake. The master shower was large, and featured beautiful cream colored tile, a large bench seat, and one of those overhead rainfall shower heads in addition to the oversized wall unit. She undressed quickly and stepped under the hot spray, allowing the water to wash away the fresh batch of tears that were falling down her cheeks. She cursed Jake for doing this to her and Clarke. Their marriage wasn’t perfect, but she never in a million years thought they would be in this position. God, what was she going to do? How had she not seen this coming? How did she not know? 

After twenty minutes of letting herself cry, she turned off the shower, resolving that it was the last time she was going to let herself cry that day. She needed to be strong for Clarke. Nothing was fine, but for her daughter’s sake, she needed to pretend that it was. 

She wrapped a large fluffy white towel around her body, frowning as her damp hair stuck to her wet body. She knew Marcus had a hair dryer somewhere. He didn’t always use it, but he had one. She was sure. After a few minutes of searching, she found the device and proceeded to try and make herself look somewhat presentable. Once she was satisfied, she quickly got dressed, gathered her things, and went downstairs. She placed her bag on a chair in the living room and walked into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She knew he was bringing something back for her, but her body was screaming at her for caffeine. Besides, this was definitely going to be a multiple cup day. As she waited for the Keurig to warm up, she walked over to the large windows in the kitchen, smiling softly at the peaceful view in front of her. 

She remembered when Marcus had finally decided he was tired of living downtown in his condo and that he had planned to buy a house at Lake Hope, just outside of Arkadia. He had looked at dozens of houses before he had found this one. They had both agreed it was really too large for a single man, but he kept coming back to it. While it was close to the top of his price range, the extra cost was well worth it for all of the privacy and lake views it offered. It really was a beautiful home.

She had always wanted to live on the lake, but she and Jake both worked downtown and wanted to cut down on their commute. They had decided to go with practicality over privacy and picked a house closer to the city. It was nice and had everything on their checklist including a pool and large playground for Clarke, but it was not what you would call private. You couldn’t go outside without seeing someone..unlike here. With the exception of the occasional kayak or small boat, you could almost disappear into your own world at Marcus’s house. 

With coffee in one hand and her phone in the other, Abby walked outside. Everything was calm and still, a welcome change from the raging storm from the previous night. There were birds flying low across the lake and in the distance she could see a few kayakers taking advantage of the nice weather. 

There were two sections of the covered deck that ran the entire length of the back of the house. On one side was a large screened porch with a small outdoor dining set, a floor to ceiling stone fireplace, and a beautiful oak porch swing. The opposite side of the patio was also covered, but open to the elements. The area had a rectangular fire pit that converted into a table, chairs surrounding, and just off the kitchen door a stunning stone outdoor kitchen. 

Abby walked over to the porch swing and sat down, smiling as she remembered all the nights that Clarke had fallen asleep in that spot. There was a slight breeze off the lake and she shivered as the cool wind caressed her face. It was so quiet and peaceful out that for a moment, she was able to forget the bomb that had just been dropped on her life. 

She was so grateful to have this haven in which to escape. God, she didn’t know what she would do without Marcus. She was so thankful for him..for his constant presence in her life...his protection..his unwavering love, not just for her but for her daughter as well. He was the only man in her life that had never disappointed her, never hurt her.. Had always supported her. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears that were again threatening to fall, silently cursing herself for letting Jake have this power over her. 

A tone from her phone pulled her from her thoughts. She looked down and her heart immediately started to pound in her chest as Jake’s face appeared on her screen. She didn’t want to talk to him but it was becoming increasingly clear that he was not going to give her the space she wanted. Against her better judgement, she slid her finger across the screen to accept the call. 

“You need to back off Jake. I'm not ready to talk to you.” she said harshly, not bothering to hide her annoyance with him. 

“Where are you?” 

She didn’t answer. He already knew where she was.

“What do you want Jake?”

She heard him take a deep breath. “I want you to come home. We need to talk.”

She started to respond but the words caught in her throat. What home? That place didn’t exist anymore.

“Abby, please. I know I screwed up.”

“Screwed up?” she scoffed. “No Jake, forgetting to put the leftovers up after dinner is screwing up. This… this is not even in the same universe as screwing up..”

“I know...”

“How long?” The words were out of her mouth before she could even decide if she really wanted to know the answer. 

Silence

“How long Jake?”

“Three years..” 

Pain ripped through her body at his admission.

“I've been trying to end it… but”

“You know you might have found it easier to do if you had kept your clothes on..”

He sighed heavily. She could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose, the way he always did when he was frustrated. 

“It’s not that simple Abby.” he said quietly.

“Of course it is Jake. It’s very simple. If you didn’t love me anymore...you..” her voice caught in her throat. 

“She’s pregnant…” Jake said almost in a whisper.

There was silence on the line.

Abby was so stunned that she couldn’t respond. 

“I’m sorry Abby. I never meant to ...”

“Don’t…..”

“Abby…”

She heard him take a deep breath. 

“I know. Let’s get through Clarke’s party tomorrow and we’ll come up with a plan.”

“No…”

There was silence as he processed her statement. “You don’t want me there.”

“I don’t know what I want at the moment, Jake... But since you decided to go out and start family with another woman why don’t you go be with her. I’ll take care of the daughter you just threw away...” Abby started to feel the sting of tears in her eyes and she was goddamned not going to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry over him. 

“Abby, you can’t keep her from me..” 

“I’m not doing this right now, Jake. I’ll be at the house later this afternoon to pick up a few things. I’ll text you and let you know what time. Don’t be there..” 

She hung up the phone before he could hear the sob that escaped her lips.


	4. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby and Marcus come up with a plan.

Marcus arrived home just before 10:00 am. Even though it was close to 4:00 am before Abby had actually closed her eyes and slept, he suspected she was already awake. She had always had trouble sleeping once the sun had made its presence known. 

Marcus couldn’t stop the quick smile that danced on his face as a memory came quickly back to him. Months before, at Abby and Jake’s house, Clarke had been mortified to discover that Marcus had never seen the movie Frozen. Abby had tried to explain to the young girl the reasons that Marcus didn’t have it playing on a constant loop like she did, but Clarke was having none of it. She grabbed him by the hand and marched him into the living room, quickly finding the movie and insisting that he watch it that instant. Clarke had even taken his phone from him and put it on a table across the room to make sure that he was completely focused on her favorite movie. All Abby could do was laugh at the look of shock on Marcus’s face. When Clarke had pulled the phone from his hand, she had fixed her steely blue eyes on his, daring him to stop her. “You are GOING to watch this with me now!” She had said, channeling her inner Abby. 

Much to his surprise, the movie had actually kept his attention but it was Clarke’s comment early in the movie that had been the root of his current memory. There was a scene where one of the sisters had dramatically stated “The sky's awake..so I’m awake”. Without missing a beat, Clarke dead panned “That’s so my mom.” and Marcus almost choked on the sip of beer he had just taken. Jake had snorted at the comment as well, both men knowing it was true. 

Pulling himself from the thought, he walked through the kitchen and into the living room, looking for Abby. He found her right where he suspected she would be. While it was thunderstorms that calmed his mind, for Abby, it had always been water. The ocean was by far her favorite, but the lake was a close second. She could sit for hours watching the never ending ebb and flow of the gentle waves at the shore, the light as it shimmered over the smooth surface of the lake. 

He watched her for a few minutes through the window as the porch swing moved slowly back and forth. A soft smile played on his lips as he saw her bare feet barely able to maintain contact with the ground. He looked down at the take out box in his hand, quickly realizing he had forgotten to grab silverware on the way out of the restaurant. He quickly walked back to the kitchen to grab a fork and napkin. 

He had gotten her favorite, Bruleed French Toast Sticks with a side of mixed fruit. He hoped that her favorite breakfast would be enough to entice her to eat, even if it was just a few bites. She rarely ate when she was upset. Back in college, when she was stressed, days would go by with her eating nothing more than a handful of almonds. He had never understood how someone so skilled at caring for others could be so awful at taking care of herself. 

With everything in hand, he walked out onto the porch. He smiled softly as he placed her breakfast on the table beside her. Gently, he took the empty coffee mug from her hand, quickly replacing it with the new hot coffee he had brought her. 

“Mocha latte with a double shot. Figured you could use the extra caffeine today. Hope that’s ok.” He said simply taking a seat next to her on the swing. She took a slow sip of the coffee before smiling over at the container on the table. “French toast sticks?” She said with a small smile. 

He offered her a quick smile and wink before fixing his eyes on an eagle gliding over the water. 

“Thank you, Marcus…” 

He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. 

“I see you found your shirt.”

She chuckled lightly. “I had limited options in the car. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all..” he murmured as his finger slowly drifted over the soft material. 

“Thank you for taking Clarke this morning. I hope she wasn’t any trouble. She can be a bit much in the morning.” 

He pursed his lips in an attempt to hide his amusement. “She’s nothing compared to you before coffee.” 

Abby gave him a quick look, suppressing a small smile of her own. He wasn’t wrong.

He gently squeezed her shoulder. “She was fine. Ate her entire plate..tried to eat some of mine.” he chuckled. “I’m not sure where she puts it all..”

“Growing girl..”

Noticing how quiet it was, she turned to look through the windows into the living room. When she didn’t see the little blonde, she returned her eyes to Marcus. “Where is she? You didn’t forget her at Roan’s did you?” She failed at hiding her amusement at teasing him.

“Ha..ha…” he moaned. I dropped her off at Callie’s.” Abby looked up at him, a bit confused. 

“You called her after you called me last night...gave her the short version....” Abby nodded slowly, returned her eyes to the water in front of her. “She sent me a text this morning. Offered to take Clarke for the day so you could have a little time.”

Abby pressed her lips together, the thoughtfulness of her friend bringing a fresh batch of tears to her eyes. 

“She’s going to take her to the zoo, lunch, and probably to the trampoline park to make sure she’s good and worn out. Then she’s going to meet us back here around 6 with dinner. After we get Clarke in bed, we’re going to get you nice and drunk...figure all of this out.“ A small laugh left her lips at the last part and patted him on the leg. “You’re too good to me Marcus Kane. You and Callie both are...” 

“You’d do the same for me..” he said softly pulling her a bit closer to him as he felt her shiver slightly. 

“I would…”

Abby brought the coffee up to her mouth and took another small sip before dropping it to her lap, rolling the smooth cup slowly between her hands. 

His fingers were absentmindedly drifting up and down the side of her arm. He stayed quiet, waiting for her to lead the conversation. Though he really had some work he needed to do, he had already decided that today was going to be about Abby. If she wanted to talk, he would listen. If she wanted to sit in silence, that was fine too. If she wanted him to go beat the shit out of Jake, he would do it, no questions asked. That last thought made a vengeful smirk flash across his face. He knew she would never ask that of him and by nature, he wasn’t a violent man, but he was fiercely protective of those he cared about. Jake had devastated his best friend. He had destroyed the family they had built together. He had hurt her in a way he had promised Marcus he would never do. Deep down, if the opportunity presented itself, he wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t beat the man senseless. 

“I talked with Jake.” Abby confessed, her words pulled him from his anger induced day dream. 

“You did?“ he turned to look at her, a little surprised that she had already spoken with Jake. She was staring blankly out at the water. Her flat expression making a knot form in his stomach. Her normally warm and expressive eyes had been replaced with a blank, cold stare. 

“Yeah…. He called and texted a few times last night.”

Marcus nodded slowly, “Yeah, I saw the notifications when I put your phone on the charger...Sorry..”

She dismissed the comment with a small wave of her hand, not really caring that he had looked at her phone. 

“He wants me to come home...so we can talk... try to fix things…” She took a deep breath and released it slowly. Marcus chewed his lip, wanting to say something, but knowing he needed to just let her talk. 

“Three years Marcus..” He looked at her, not convinced that he had heard her correctly. It wasn’t until he saw her jaw set that he understood. “He’s been with her for three fucking years,” her hissed, her voice dripping with anger.

Marcus started to respond, but she spoke before he could get the words out “And if that wasn’t cruel enough..she’s pregnant…”

Marcus’s eyes went wide with shock. 

“What?” 

“Fuck…” He ran his hand through his thick dark hair, exhaling loudly. “Abby, are you serious?”

She nodded and tears started to slip down her cheek. 

“I hadn’t told you, but we’d been trying..” She reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek in frustration. “For almost a year now but, it just.. With every passing month and more negative tests, we decided that maybe Clarke was going to be it.” She laughed bitterly. “Guess, he’s finally getting what he wanted. Just had to go somewhere else to get it.”

“Abby...I.” He looked at his friend, completely bare and broken.

“I’m so sorry.”

“What am I going to do Marcus? How am I supposed to explain this to Clarke? How am I supposed to explain to her she’s going to have a sibling but I’m not the mother.”

He turned his body and pulled her into his chest as best he could from their current position. “We’ll figure it out, Abby.” He gently murmured, his lips lingering on the top of her head. 

“What can I do?” he said simply, not knowing what to say to his best friend whose life had just been turned upside down.

“Do you know any good lawyers?” she replied without a hint of uncertainty. He pulled back to be able to see her face. 

“You’re ready for that?” 

She nodded. “Yeah, there is no way back from this.. I don’t see a reason to wait. He wants to fix things, but from where I sit, there is nothing left to fix.” She looked intently into his eyes, as he searched hers for any sign of uncertainty. 

He frowned slightly, “Yeah..” This was her decision and he trusted her judgement. He knew Abby well enough to know that once she had made up her mind about something, there was no changing her mind. “Yeah.. I know someone I can call. Pike, our corporate attorney.” He turned from her, reaching out to the table beside the swing to grab his phone. 

“He could probably handle this for you, or at the very least point you in the right direction.” He quickly typed a short message and she heard the swoosh as the message was sent. “Ok, that’s done. I asked him to call me when he’s free.”

He stared at her for a moment, recognizing the look in her eyes. She had shifted into problem solving mode.

“What’s next?”

She angled her head as she formulated her next move. He reached over and took her hand in his, waiting patiently for the next task. 

“Are you ok with Clarke and I staying here for a few days, until I can find somewhere for us to live? I thought about asking Jake to move out, so I didn’t have to uproot Clarke but I.. I can’t stay there..”

“Abby, you and Clake are welcome to stay here as long as you like. I don’t care if it’s two days, two months, or two years. You know this..” He paused for a moment, his dark brown locking with hers when she finally looked up at him. “What’s the point of having all this space if I can’t share it with those I love..”

She knew he was right but also knew that he was unprepared for the chaos of having a small child in the house. 

“Marcus, I appreciate the offer..”

He stopped her before she could finish her thought. He couldn’t have her thinking that there was any doubt in his mind that this was what he wanted. “Abby, I know what you’re thinking and I’m telling you it is fine. How do you not know me well enough by now to know that this is not an imposition for me. I want the two of you here where I know you are safe and taken care of.”

She exhaled slightly. 

“Abby, please don’t fight me on this. This is an easy way I can help. Please let me..” She looked up into his eyes seeing nothing but sincerity staring back at her. She shouldn’t have been surprised for him to offer up his home to her. It was such a Marcus thing to do. She held his gaze, knowing in her heart this was the easiest choice for both her and Clake. Jake wouldn’t like it, of that she was sure. At the moment however, she didn’t really care how he felt about it. He no longer had a say in what she did.

He smiled down at her, his eyes begging her to say yes. After a few moments, she nodded her head in agreement. 

“Good! That’s settled.”

“You’ll change your mind in a week, two tops.” she teased. 

“Not a chance..”

“Do you have any idea how many princess movies she is going to make you watch?”

A smile quickly crossed his face as he pretended to contemplate her words. 

“I can handle a few movies..” he chuckled. 

“Your house will never be tidy again,” she continued with a small laugh “her toys will end up everywhere.”

He saw a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.. There she was...there was his Abby. 

“I’ll take my chances..” 

“You are such a glutton for punishment.” 

“From you, that is probably true.” He said with a laugh. 

“Hey!” She lightly jabbed him in the ribs pretending to be offended. He responded by tightening his grip on her shoulder, pulling her again into his body. For a few moments, they sat in silence looking out at the water. 

“So, just how many toys are we talking?” Her body immediately started to shake.

“So many…” She giggled. She looked up at him just in time to see his head tilt back and his eyes close. 

“I told you..”

“I’ll survive.” he hummed as his eyes drifted to a group of kayakers in the distance. 

“I told Jake that I’d be by this afternoon to pick up some clothes for Clarke and I. I asked him not to be there.” 

“Would you like some company?”

“You don’t have to..I’m sure you have other things.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to go Abby.”

She nodded. “Some company would be nice.”

“What about Clarke’s party tomorrow?” Marcus asked, realizing this crisis had not been her plan for the weekend.

“I’m still working through that one.” she confessed. “I’m supposed to pick up her cake this afternoon. I can’t cancel her party.. She’d be crushed. I just haven’t figured out how to navigate Jake in this…”

“Have it here..” He stated matter of factly. 

“No, Marcus..”

“Why not? I have a pool. It was a pool party right?”

“Marcus, you don’t need five little girls running around your house..”

“Abby, you don’t want to cancel her party and you understandably don’t want Jake to be there. The easiest solution is to move it here.”

He could see her mentally debating the option. She was never one to put someone else out. “You are doing so much for us already. I..” 

“Abby, let me do this for her...for you. It’s not a problem. Really…” he interjected, not letting her finish her thought. “just tell me what we need to get and we’ll go get it.”

She looked up at him, trying to read him. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely. Let me go get a pen and paper and we’ll come up with a plan. I'm completely at your disposal today.”

“I don’t deserve you..“ She said softly, her thumb gently stroking the back of his hand. 

He raised her hand to his mouth and placed a quick kiss to the back of her hand. “I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual. I can’t count the number of times you’ve saved me Abby. Im happy to do this for you..” 

An hour and a half later, with a detailed list in hand, Marcus and Abby were in his SUV headed  
to her house. Abby had already reached out to the parents of Clarke’s friends and thankfully no one seemed to mind the last minute change of venue for the party. 

She had sent Jake a short text that she was on her way and hoped he would respect her desire for him not to be there. She didn’t tell him that Marcus would be with her, but she suspected he knew he would be. Jake knew Marcus well enough to know he would never let Abby go to the house alone after what had happened. That assumption alone was probably enough of a deterrent to keep Jake away. 

In the text, she had told Jake, very bluntly, that she had moved the party to Marcus’s house and that she did not want him there. She promised to let Clarke facetime with him after the party, but until then, he needed to respect her need for space. At the moment, she wanted nothing to do with him, but she knew she would never keep him from their daughter.

To his credit, he simply responded that he would appreciate being able to talk with Clarke. He had asked if they could talk in person some time in the next few days, but she didn’t respond. 

Two hours laters, Abby stood numb in her kitchen as Marcus took the last bag out to his car. She had grabbed what she thought they would need to get through the next few weeks, clothes for the both of them, some of Clarke’s favorite toys and books, her laptop, and the documents that Pike had texted he needed to start the divorce proceedings. 

She couldn’t believe how drastically her life had changed in less than 24 hours. Her mind was going in a million different directions as she tried to process everything. What if she hadn’t come home early last night? How would this all have played out? Would he ever have told her? Had he been planning on leaving her at some point in the near future or was he somehow planning on keeping both relationships going? She shook her head at the thought of him trying to keep a secret family on the side.. God, her life had turned into a bad Lifetime movie.

Her mind drifted to the fact that he had been sleeping with both of them for the last three years. The ramifications of that alone made her feel sick to her stomach. It wasn’t like she and Jake didn’t have an active sex life. If there were reasons that he went looking for another woman, there was no way their sex life had been a factor. She prayed that he had been smart enough to use some protection, but knowing Jake’s dislike of condoms, she made a mental note to have Callie run some tests for her on Monday..just to be sure there was nothing to worry about. 

Thankfully, Marcus’s voice behind her pulled her from opening that particular pandora’s box. 

“That’s the last of the stuff in the foyer. Anything else you want to grab today?” 

She turned to face him as she mentally ran through her checklist. 

“I think that’s it for now. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I can always come back. Besides I'm not so sure there is any room left in your car at this point.”

She studied him for a moment. “Marcus, you’re sure it's ok for us to stay with you?” She bit her lip. “I’m a mess and Clarke’s a handful. I’m not sure you know what you’re signing up for..” She offered him a sympathetic smile, knowing how much he enjoyed his alone time. 

He had been tempted to tease her a bit, but given her current vulnerable state, he couldn’t have her thinking there was any doubt in his mind that this is what he wanted. “There’s nothing I want more than to keep you two close at the moment.”

He offered her a large smile before looking around the room one last time for anything he may have missed. Satisfied that he had grabbed everything he looked at her, as she stood hands pressed down on the cool dark granite of her kitchen island looking out her back window. 

“Are you ready?”

She took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly as she looked over at him. Then, in a quick motion that broke Marcus’s heart, he watched her slip off her wedding rings and place them in the middle of the island counter. 

“I am now.”


	5. Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had only been gone for a little over an hour, but when he rejoined them, it was obvious that Callie now knew everything and had decided the best course of action was to get Abby completely hammered.

True to her word, Callie had returned to Marcus’s house with an exhausted Clarke, two pizzas, and a very wide assortment of mini bottles. Clarke was so tired from her day with Callie that she, much to Marcus’s amusement, had fallen asleep at the dinner table. Abby had tried to wake her so she could walk upstairs to bed, but Clarke was having none of it. With a swat at Abby’s hand, Clarke put her head back on the table and passed back out. Frowning, Abby huffed as she scooped Clarke into her arms and carried her upstairs.

Since Clarke had been somewhat awake when Abby had called Callie the night before, she had only been able to give her cryptic details of what had happened with Jake. Now that Clarke was tucked in for the night, Callie was ready to get the full story. Her mind had come up with a few possible scenarios, but it wasn’t until she realized that Abby had already moved out of her house and into Marcus’s that she truly understood that this was far worse than a fight.

As Abby began to explain things to Callie, Marcus had excused himself. He had been away from his email all day and needed to review an open issues report that had been texted to him by Sinclair a few hours earlier.

He had only been gone for a little over an hour, but when he rejoined them, it was obvious that Callie now knew everything and had decided the best course of action was to get Abby completely hammered.

While Abby did like to enjoy herself from time to time, she was not usually the type to have more than one or two drinks in an evening. Well, not anymore that is. College had been a different story, but that was a different time and a different Abby.

All it took was one look at her and the collection of empty mini bottles on the table to know Abby was already well past her limit. A warm smile grew on his face as he saw the two of them dancing carelessly together under the stars. Music was playing loudly on his outdoor system, and Marcus was again thankful to be nestled in a sparsely populated area of the lake.

Marcus’s cheeks warmed as his eyes locked on Abby. It had been years since he had seen her like this. A small part of the warmth he was feeling was just from the joy of seeing her happy, even if it was alcohol induced. The larger part of him was thankful to God above that neither of the women had seen him walk out onto the patio. There would have been no way for him to explain the way his breath caught in his throat at the sight of Abby bathed in moonlight dancing like she no longer had a care in the world.

She had always been breathtaking, but when she danced, he was completely under her spell. She moved with the skill of a trained dancer, instinctually internalizing the beat and letting the music take her with it. It was hypnotic.

He knew she shouldn’t have this affect on him, but friend or not, there was no denying his body’s natural reaction to her. She was, after all, a very beautiful woman and he was admittedly a hopeless man. Marcus swallowed hard as his mouth went dry. He chastised himself for the thoughts now going through his head as he desperately tried to slow the blood that was rapidly traveling south.

As if sensing his presence, Abby turned and smiled at him. Twenty years and his heart still clinched in his chest when their eyes would meet across a room.

 _Damn man._ He murmured, _Get a hold of yourself.._

“Marcussss..” she slurred. “There you are.” She smiled as she raised her hand and motioned for him to join them with her finger. He shook his head as he immediately looked over at Callie, raising his eyebrows at her guilty expression.

“Come dance with me handsome..” Abby breathed, her voice low and seductive - threatening to undo his attempts at self control.

He set his drink down on the table and walked over to her, gently taking an empty glass from her hand.

“Time to catch you up. Want to pick the next round?” she said hopefully.

“I think you’ve had enough for now Abby.” He chucked.

She frowned up at him. “I’ve had a bad day Marcus…let me have some fun..” she pouted. Her frown didn’t last long before it morphed into a large grin and she giggled uncontrollably.

“Really, Callie?” he said, observing how she tried to hide her cheshire grin behind her glass.

She shrugged her shoulders at him, “She’s had a bad few days..”

“The worst..” Abby mumbled as she walked over and took a sip of Marcus’s drink, cringing as soon as the bitter liquid hit her taste buds.

“That’s what you get..” He said smugly, seizing the drink from her and taking a long slip. She had never liked whiskey.

Abby was not a large woman and though she would never admit it, she really was a bit of a light weight. He knew damn well the price she would pay for the euphoria she was experiencing at the moment. He cursed himself for not being downstairs sooner to slow her down. He should have known Callie and those mini bottles would be trouble.

Marcus walked over to the undercounter refrigerator in the outdoor kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water. He quickly opened it and offered it to Abby. She rolled her eyes, but took the bottle, sipping the liquid with a defiant glare. Marcus looked over at Callie, noting that she had only a glass of clear liquid in her hand that looked a lot like water. “And what are you drinking?” his voice dripping with suspicion, as she tried her best to look innocent.

“Just water for me. I’m on call.” she explained with a quick shrug.

“She had me do her shots for her..” Abby said with another small giggle.

“Oh, I see how it is...you’re going to wind her up and leave the mess for me to clean up…OUCH” he yelped as Abby slapped him hard on the ass.

“She’s your mess now.” Callie replied as Abby doubled over in laughter.

“I’m just trying to help my girl relax,” Callie snickered.

Marcus just shook his head as he tried to hide his smile. He had to admit, Abby deserved to be happy, even if she would likely regret this in the morning.

The three chatted for an hour around the fire pit before Marcus got up to refresh his drink. When he returned from inside, he shook his head in disbelief as he noticed another empty mini bottle in Abby’s hand and a devious smile on Callie’s lips.

“God, you’re impossible.” He said, again removing the bottle from Abby’s hand and replacing it with the water he had brought with him from inside. “No more for you tonight!” he said sternly. Callie laughed despite herself and Marcus’s eyes quickly shifted to her. “And you need to stop being such a bad influence, unless you are the one that will be chasing all these little girls around my house tomorrow.” Callie raised her hands in defeat, but her eyes spoke a different story.

Returning his attention to Abby, “If you keep sneaking drinks, you’ll be holding your own hair when you are throwing up. You’re not twenty anymore Abby.”

She rolled her eyes and took another sip of the water. “I’m fine, Marcus.”

“Mmm” he hummed unconvinced as he sat down beside her. He saw her shiver slightly as she pulled her legs up and into her body. Now that the sun had dipped below the horizon, the temperature was starting to fall. Without a word, he leaned down and pressed the self igniter on the fire pit. Within a few moments, the small flame provided a cocoon of heat for the trio. The adrenaline rush that had accompanied her initial intake of alcohol had subsided and Abby had become quiet and contemplative. The three discussed Abby’s next steps and the different ways to talk to Clarke about what had happened. While Marcus and Callie had both proposed good suggestions, Abby still couldn’t wrap her mind around this new reality. It was unfair. It was cruel. This is not the future she had planned.

Callie’s phone came to life on the table and noting the number on the display, Abby sighed.

“Don’t answer it Cal” Abby frowned, her eyes sadly looking over at her friend.

“Sorry darling, you know I can’t do that.” She pressed accept on the call and quickly put the device to her ear. “Dr. Cartwig” She listened for a few moments before her face twisted and she slowly shook her head at Abby. “Thanks Charlotte, I’ll be there by 10:00.”

She hung up the phone and stood, “Sorry, duty calls… Apparently everyone in Arkadia decided to go into labor tonight.”

“Stay..” Abby whined as Callie approached her and leaned in to hug her friend.

“I can’t. Jaha is chief tonight and you know what a dick he is if you are late for a call.”

Abby pulled Callie into a tight hug. “Thank you so much for helping with Clarke today.” Callie kissed her friend on the cheek. “You know I love that girl. I was happy to do it.” She smiled down affectionately at Abby. “I’ll see you tomorrow around 2.”

Abby sat back mindlessly playing with a stray string on her leggings. Marcus stood and started for the door, “I’ll walk you out Callie.”

“Stay there stud. I know my way, besides you need to stay here and make sure she doesn’t fall in the fire.”

Marcus shot her a knowing look. “Thanks for that by the way.” He chucked nodding towards Abby.

Callie bit her lip, trying to keep her amusement under control. “Good luck!” she chuckled as she leaned in, placing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Take care of our girl.” she whispered into his ear.

“Always” he replied. Callie grinned and looked around him at Abby one last time, “Try and get some sleep sweetie, remember three advil, two more bottles of water and eat some crackers before you lay down.

“Yes Doctor.” Abby said with a laugh, giving her a smart little salute with her left hand.

“Why are you still here?” Marcus snickered gently pushing Callie towards the door.

After Callie had disappeared back into the house, Marcus returned to his spot beside Abby. She shamelessly snuggled into his body and reached behind her to pull his arm up around her body where she wanted it. She sighed as her hand drifted aimlessly back and forth across the rough texture of his dark jeans.

“I love it out here.” Abby said softly, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

“Me too.”

Abby looked up at the sky, a soft hum leaving her lips as she observed the sky above. “It’s amazing how many more stars you can see out here. It’s not like my house is that far away, but the lights are so bright... “ She shook her head. “You don’t get this view..”

“We’ll have to let Clarke stay up a little late one night, she’d probably love looking at the stars.”

“She would.” Abby agreed with a small yawn.

Marcus didn’t know exactly what time it was, but he could tell by the drowsiness in her voice, that Abby was fighting to stay awake. Honestly, he was surprised she had lasted this long given the lack of sleep from the night before plus the large volume of alcohol she had consumed earlier. Even though he was enjoying having her there beside him, he knew tomorrow was going to be just as busy as today and they both needed a good nights rest.

“Come on, let’s get you upstairs.” He finally said slowly moving his arm off her shoulder and patting her on the leg, eliciting a small moan of disagreement from a very sleepy Abby. He gave a small stretch as he stood before turning and offering her his hand. She swayed as she stood and Marcus quickly grabbed her elbow to help steady her. “God, you’re a mess.” he teased.

“But I’m your mess.” she quipped with a sly smile of her own.

“That you are,” he chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her waist, to make sure she stayed on her feet.

He gathered the few glasses that were scattered around the fire pit and locked the doors behind them as he helped her upstairs. He stood at the doorway as she went into check on Clarke, tucking the girl back underneath the covers she had kicked off. She smiled down at her daughter, reaching out and brushing a lock of hair off her face before tucking her puppy in beside her. “We’re going to be fine baby,” he heard her whisper to Clarke. “I promise.”

She walked out of the room and stopped in front of Marcus in the hallway, placing her hand on his chest. He closed his eyes at the contact, feeling the heat of her hand through his shirt. He moved his hand on top of hers, holding it in place as he opened his eyes and looked down at her. Their eyes met for a moment and he suddenly wondered if she could feel his heart pounding under her hand. She smiled softly as she reached her body up and placed a lingering kiss to his cheek.

“Good night, Marcus.”

“Good night Abby.” he replied simply as she turned and walked a few more steps down the hall to her new room. Once she disappeared inside, he turned and walked to his room.

He turned on the shower and quickly undressed as the water warmed. Stepping under the stream, he ran his hand through his thick hair, closing his eyes as the water enveloped him. No matter what he did, his mind kept drifting back to Abby. He tried to rationalize it. Maybe it was just that they had spent the entire day alone together, something they hadn’t been able to do in years... Maybe it was the way she had been looking at him all night...the way she would reach over and let her hand linger on his arm, his chest, his thigh.. He warmed at the memory of the contact. She had always been flirty when she was drunk, his brain reminded him.

He didn’t know why all these feeling were surfacing all of a sudden, but he knew he needed to put a stop to them now before he did something stupid. There had always been a danger to their relationship, to their closeness. They both acknowledged it in their own ways. There was no denying there had always been a chance that one of them would fall for the other….maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever....

Marcus didn’t know what the future held for them, but the one thing he did know was that she was in the middle of a trauma. No matter what deep rooted feelings he had for her, he had to force them back into submission. In the future, maybe they could explore what they both knew was there but now wasn’t the time. What she needed at the moment was his strength, his protection..things that he could easily provide for her.

Marcus stepped out of the shower and quickly dressed in a pair of boxers and one of his old soccer tees. He ran the towel roughly over his hair to remove some of the dampness and quickly ran a comb through it in attempts to tame his disobedient mane. He frowned at his image in the mirror, making a mental note to have Raven call his hair stylist on Monday.

Marcus hadn’t realized just how tired he was until he stepped out of the shower and let his mind start to slow. It had been a long day.. a long week. He cringed at the dark circles under his eyes, praying that sleep would come quickly.

Returning his towel to the hook beside the shower, he took one last look around the bathroom to make sure everything was in its proper place. Once he was satisfied, he turned off the light and returned to his bedroom. He had just made it past the closet and turned the corner to approach his bed when he noticed he was no longer alone.

He stood staring at Abby for a few moments, trying to decide if she was awake or asleep.

He dropped his head to his chest. _God, you aren’t going to make this easy are you…_

Sensing that he had stopped moving, Abby opened her eyes and smiled at Marcus.

“Are you just going to stand there?” she yawned as she rolled over to face him. 

“Is something wrong with your bed?” he teased as he turned off the lamp beside the bed and slipped under the covers next to her.

“I like yours better..” she said sleepily. “And these sheets…” A soft purr left her lips, stirring feelings in Marcus that he was scared to name but couldn’t ignore.

“Oh, so you like my bed now,” he said flatly as he tried desperately to will a certain part of his anatomy back into submission. “I seem to remember someone lecturing me on this purchase.”

“What did I know?” she hummed. “Totally worth every penny.”

She rolled towards him and wrapped her arm around his torso.

“I’m cold, come here.”

 _Get control of yourself_. Marcus scolded himself. _You’ve slept in the same bed many times. Shit, you slept beside her last night.._

She snuggled closer to him and he was suddenly gripped with panic that she would become aware of the effect she was having on him.

“Marcus…”Abby whispered drowsily.

“Yes Abby..”

“I love you..”

He closed his eyes as he pulled her tighter, smelling his shampoo in her hair. He smiled and leaned over just enough to drop a small kiss on her forehead. They were playing a dangerous game and he knew it. He suspected she did as well. She was in a bad place emotionally, he reminded himself, vowing in that moment, to not to let things get out of control. Maybe when this was all behind them, they could let things take their natural course, but for now, he needed to get control of this. She exhaled slowly as her hand came to rest on his chest. He put his hand over hers and closed his eyes.

“I love you too Abby, get some sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me! Sorry for any typos.  
> Up next, Jake's back and there is nothing Abby can do to avoid him.


	6. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus gets some amazing news. Abby doesn't. 
> 
> I apologize in advance to any Jake fans out there. Major angst coming... you've been warned. :)

Marcus sat back in his black leather office chair and exhaled slowly. It had been one hell of a week, but somehow they had all survived it. The launch had gone extremely well. He and his team were exhausted, but 52 hours into the launch, they were all starting to feel cautiously optimistic. There had been a few very minor hiccups, but nothing that wasn’t expected. All they could do now was sit back and wait. If they could make it through the weekend with no major issues, they all felt confident that they could file this one away as another successful project. 

A soft knock pulled him from his thoughts and forced his attention to the woman with a flat expression standing at his door. 

Marcus had known Indra for a long time, but she was still so hard to read. It was both what he loved and what frustrated him about her. 

“One day I will learn not to doubt you, friend” she admitted flatly, the corner of her lip raising upward just slightly as she walked into the room and took a seat across from him.

“I told you we could handle it,” Kane replied a wide smile growing on his face. Indra was not one to complement and he intended on milking this one for all it was worth.

“So, are you saying that I was right to push for this project?” he said brightly, as he lifted an eyebrow encouraging her to continue. 

Indra pulled a face, knowing Marcus was enjoying this moment a little too much. 

“All I’m saying is that in the future, I might actually listen to what you have to say before passing judgment on a project.” 

Marcus put his hands behind his head interlocking his fingers and leaned back triumphantly in his chair. “I believe that is the nicest thing you have ever said to me.”

“Well, don’t get used to it Kane.” Indra smiled smugly at her friend. “I hope you don’t have plans tonight. Sinclair just reserved the roof deck for tonight at the Blue Oyster”

“I know things are going well, but I still think it's a bit premature to celebrate don’t you?”

“BioAlpha is not the project we’re celebrating Kane.” Marcus brows drew together as he sized her up, trying to interpret her flat expression. After a moment her mouth curved into the slightest of smiles and he understood.

“You’re kidding me.” he said slowly, trying to make sure he was properly interpreting Indra’s cryptic facial expression. 

“I don’t kid, Kane. You know that.”

“When did they call?”

“I just got off the phone with Russell about about ten minutes ago.”

Marcus jumped up from his seat, unable to control his excitement. He walked over to the large windows in his office as he ran his hand roughly through his hair and let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. After a moment, he turned back towards Indra grinning like a child at Christmas. 

“You’re serious? We got it?”

“I’ve answered that Kane.” Indra was trying to maintain her emotionless expression, but he could see the glimmer in her eyes. 

“When?” 

“Final presentation is August 25th in LA. If the investors are happy, we start September 15th.” 

“Holy shit Indra!” Marcus marveled.

“David now stands amongst the Goliaths, Kane. Tonight we celebrate the invitation and on Monday, we begin the process of earning it.” She beamed at Kane, no longer hiding behind her normally stoic demeanor. Marcus’s hands dropped to his hips as he chewed his bottom lip, still somewhat in shock. If they got the final green light, AST would now be working on a five year - ten million dollar contract with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. When they had submitted their initial proposals for the project, Marcus didn’t even think they would move past the first round. One year and five presentations later, they were at the final vetting for the job. It was unbelievable. This was it! This was the project that would take them to the next level. Indra stood and walked over to Marcus, patting him on the chest as she walked towards the door. “Blue Oyster..7pm… Bring Abby.”

Marcus smiled at Indra’s invitation. Though Indra had only met Abby a handful of times, the two had immediately hit it off. They had little in common other than Marcus, but somehow the two women shared a connection that Marcus couldn’t quite put his finger on. If you were to ask Indra, she would probably explain that she knew Abby was important to Kane, which in turn made her important to Indra. Things were that simple with her. 

Marcus walked over to his desk and retrieved his phone. He looked at the time, 1:30pm. Abby still had a few hours left on her shift. They had both had a very busy week and even though they were now living under the same roof, they had barely seen each other. He knew she was likely to be exhausted from work, but hoped that he could talk her into joining them. 

He quickly sent her a text before putting his phone in his pocket and going to find Sinclair. 

\---------------------

Abby had just walked out of a patient’s room when her watch buzzed on her wrist. She quickly looked down to see it was a message from Marcus. Suppressing a small grin, she tapped the screen.

 _“Blue Oyster 7pm. Celebratory dinner. “_ She pulled her phone from her pocket and unlocked the screen as she stopped at the nurse’s station to drop a file. 

_“What are we celebrating?”_

_“Wallace Pharma…”_

Abby stared at her screen as she processed the name. When she finally placed the reference, her heart started beating quickly in her chest. She bit her lip trying to control the large grin that was growing on her face. She knew what this meant for Marcus and AST. 

Marcus had always been pragmatic by nature. He had known getting selected for this project was a long shot, but as the company continued to progress through the bidding process, it became harder and harder for him to hide his excitement. 

_“Are you serious?” Abby responded with a shocked emoji._

_“I know you’re probably exhausted but I want you there. ”_ She saw the three little dots moving at the bottom of her screen and she smirked as she saw the next message that popped up. _“I’ll come kidnap you if I have to.”_

Abby was glad there was no one around to witness her grinning at her phone like a giddy teenager who had just been asked out by their crush. He had been right. She was exhausted but she knew she couldn’t miss being there to celebrate this moment with him. Besides she had seen so little of her friend over the week that she had to admit, some time with him did sound nice. 

_“I could be convinced… “_

_“What if chocolate was involved…”_

She blushed, god he knew her so well. 

_“Sold. Let me see if Harper is available to stay with her a little longer.”_

_“Tell her there’s an extra 200 in it for her if she’ll let me keep you out late tonight.”_

Abby’s cheeks flushed as she read his last message. She passed along the message and smiled broadly when Harper responded with two thumbs up. She was so thankful they had found Harper. She was so great with Clarke and never seemed to mind when Abby’s unpredictable schedule required her to stay late. She mentally made a note that she really needed to give the young girl a raise. 

_“She’s good to keep her as long as needed.”_ Abby responded with a winking emoji.

_“How about I meet you at the hospital at 6:15?”_

_“Perfect. I should be done by 6. Meet me in my office.”_

Abby was about to put her phone back in her pocket when a message from Callie popped up. 

“Come see me asap.” 

Abby read the message a few times, before responding to her friend. “Is everything ok?” There were 100 different reasons Callie would send a message like that to her and she rolled her eyes that her first mental response was “ _what’s wrong?”_

 _“Got your labs back…”_ Callie responded simply.

Abby’s jaw tightened at the message. _“I need to check on one more patient. I’ll be down in 20.”_

Abby put the phone back in her pocket and tried to put the message out of her mind as she went in to see her next patient. Twenty minutes later she walked into Callie’s office, closing the door behind her and preparing herself for the worst.

“Well..” Abby looked impatiently at her friend. Callie slid a piece of paper across the desk and Abby’s eyes immediately started scanning the list of acronyms and numbers. When she was finished, she looked at Callie. “Run them again.” she said flatly.

“I already did.”

“Then run them a third time.” she argued, frustration obvious in tone.

“Abby…there’s no reason to do that. It’s not going to change the results.”

\------------------------

Two and a half hours later, Abby had managed to distract herself enough to finish her rounds. She looked down at her watch and let out a long breath, 5:30. She had finished thirty minutes early and was thankful there were no issues that were going to cause her to be late meeting Marcus. She had thought about texting him and canceling, but ultimately decided that the best thing she could do at the moment was distract herself. 

She was almost to her office, when one of the younger nurses walked past her. “Oh, Dr. Griffin, there is a man waiting for you in your office. Said you were expecting him.” 

Abby nodded at the young girl. “Thanks, Kira. Have a good weekend.”

“You too Dr. Griffin.”

Abby continued down the hall a small smile playing on her face. Here she was thinking that maybe she would actually be the early one for a change. She shook her head as she thought back. Marcus was always early, for everything. She wasn’t so sure she had ever beaten him anywhere.

Abby stopped her in tracks as her eyes landed on the familiar figure standing with his back to her, staring out at the city through her office window. Her mouth dropped open and the color drained from her face. Of all the issues she didn’t want to deal with at the moment, he was at the top of her list. Sensing her presence, Jake turned and stared at his wife.

“What do you want Jake?” she said harshly, rage already building in her body at the intrusion.

He tossed a stack of papers down on her desk and she exhaled in frustration, knowing what they were before even looking down. 

“I’m not signing this.” He announced flatly. 

“Jake, don’t make this any harder than it already is.. Just sign the damn papers.”   
“No, not until we talk.” Jake’s voice firm. 

She walked towards her desk, sidestepping him as he tried to reach out for her. She retreated quickly behind her desk, turning her back to him as she filed the blue binder in her hand alphabetically on the large bookshelf that flanked her desk. She turned back towards Jake and stared blankly at her soon to be ex-husband. “I have nothing to say to you Jake.” she spat, not bothering to hide her annoyance with him. 

“I don’t need you to say anything Abby. I just need you to listen.” Jake moved towards the door, quickly closing it before returning his attention to Abby. Her pulse quickened as he blocked her only means of escape. She knew that he wouldn’t hurt her, but it didn’t stop the panic that was setting in as she realized there was nowhere to run. She was going to have to deal with him whether she liked it or not. There was nowhere to hide this time. 

She had been avoiding him all week. She had ignored every text, every call, every attempt he had made to reach out to her. The more she ignored him, the more persistent he had become. He had even left notes on her car at the hospital, sent flowers, and hounded Callie to please get her to call. She should have known that her avoidance would just make this worse, but she couldn’t help herself. It was childish, but she just didn’t want to deal with him. It was easier to ignore him. 

She pressed her lips together as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Jake. She was so furious that he was there in her office, but deep down she wasn’t surprised. Pike had warned her that Jake was being served that morning and to be on the lookout for him. He knew that Abby hadn’t informed Jake that she had started the divorce process. They both knew he was going to be blindsided by it, but she assured Pike that it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. 

Now that he was standing in front of her, his body rigid and overpowering, his eyes boring into hers demanding an explanation, she knew it had been foolish to believe she would have a little more time before she had to face him. 

“You said what you needed to say that night, Jake.” she seethed. “Not really sure there is anything left to say.”

“You didn’t give me a chance to say anything Abby! You were in too big of a hurry to get out of there..” He replied, harshly matching her tone. She looked at him with contempt as he suddenly cringed, realizing what she had meant. 

He took a deep breath, knowing that losing his temper with her was only going to make things worse. He looked down at his feet, trying to get his anger under control.

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen Abby.” He murmured, suddenly looking more frustrated than angry.

“You mean you didn’t mean to get caught..” she challenged back, biting her lip at her inability to not play verbal tennis with him. 

“No!” he replied sternly. “I meant I never intended for this to happen!” 

She scowled, refusing to continue down this road with him. 

“You need to leave Jake.” 

“I won’t sign those until we talk...really talk, not this defensive bull shit.” 

Her lip curled up and her nostrils flared as she bit back with gritted teeth, “Well, thanks to your new little addition, honestly, I don’t even need your signature to force this through. A DNA test is all it's going to take.”

She knew it was a low blow but he wasn’t giving her any other option. 

His eyes locked his hers for a brief moment, before she looked away. He could see the tears starting to gather in her eyes, the guilt.

“Abby..” he whispered softly, his voice suddenly gentle. When she didn’t respond, he took the opportunity to walk closer to her.

“Please, I’ll do whatever it takes Abby. I’ll leave her. I’ll go into therapy. I know a baby doesn’t help in all of this, but … we’ll figure it out. Please, I don’t want to throw us away. I don’t love her… not the way.. “

“Jake don’t...You don’t..” She took a slow, deep breath. “You don’t get to say that to me anymore..”

“I don’t love her the way I love you, Abby. I don’t know what she was, but she..she’s not you... Please, just give us a little more time. All I’m asking for is a month..please let’s try and work this out. 

A single tear slipped down her cheek and instinctively, he reached up to wipe it away. 

She flinched at the contact and pulled away leaving his hand lingering in the air.

“You need to go.”

“Abby… please, if not for us, then for Clarke.”

“I am doing this for Clarke.” she said sadly.

He let her words sink in. “There has to be a way through this…”

“There’s not..” she was exhausted and didn’t have the energy to fight him about this. 

“One month Abby..just come home. I’ll sleep downstairs on the couch..”

She looked up at him and for a moment, she could see the sorrow behind his eyes. Her bottom lip was trembling and he could see her losing her battle with her emotions right before his eyes. Seeing the moment of weakness, he walked over to her and pulled her into his embrace. For just a moment, she let herself sink into his arms, not fighting the contact, even though every fiber of her being was yelling at her to run away.

“I'm so sorry Abby.” he murmured into her hair. “I can’t erase what’s happened, but if you give me a chance...I.. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for this.”

Her tears were flowing freely now. “I was so stupid. We were in Boston on that work trip, and everyone had too much to drink. It just happened..I should have ended it, but I.. God I’m so sorry..” 

Her body tensed in his arms as the name Boston kept replaying in her mind over and over. When she realized why, white anger flashed behind her eyes, causing her body immediately to tense. 

“Let go of me Jake,” the words were barely above a whisper. 

“Shh..” Jake tightening his arms around her as he felt her start to pull away.

“I said let go..” She growled as she pushed hard against his chest, causing him to stumble back at the unexpected show of strength.

“You need to leave.” her eyes dropped, no longer able to look at him in the face. She was frozen in place, her mind racing..

“Abby...please talk to me..” Jake looked at her trying to understand what he had said that had caused her sudden and violent shift in emotion. 

“I don’t know why I kept going back to her. She was just a distraction. A stupid distraction. I never wanted to hurt you.” She kept her gaze off him. She couldn't bear to look his way, because if they made eye contact, she thought she might vomit. 

“If that’s true, then why are you still lying to me Jake.”

“What are you.. I’m not lying to you..Abby...”

“Boston…” she stretched the word out slowly, intentionally bringing attention to the city’s name that had left his mouth.. 

He didn’t understand at first, but when the realization hit him as to what he had actually just admitted, his head dropped back and his eyes shifted to the ceiling. 

“Fuck.. Abby…” he took a step towards her as she held up her hand, taking a step back as he advanced. 

“I didn’t mean Boston…” he was back peddling now, though he knew it was useless. “It wasn’t..”

She lunged at him before she could stop herself, violently pushing against his chest. Despite her best efforts, she only knocked him back a few steps.

“Are you fucking kidding me Jake! Please tell me you are kidding…” she laughed bitterly.

He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. He deserved what was coming to him. He knew there was no point continuing to lie. If there was any chance at salvaging his family, he just needed to take whatever she was about to unleash. 

“So while I was in that hospital giving birth to our daughter…your baby girl...” she swallowed hard. 

“Is that why Marcus couldn’t get you on the phone that night? You were too busy fucking Becca...”

He flinched. It was subtle and she almost missed it, but she knew her husband. She knew what she had just seen behind his eyes.

“Oh my god…” her voice cracked as she instinctively backed as far away from him as was possible in her small office. 

“Abby…” 

Her stomach was in knots. She could feel the heat rising in her face. Her chest tightened and she saw the little warning flashes of lights around her peripheral vision that warned of a drop in blood pressure. 

“How many have there been Jake?”

To his credit, he looked sincerely remorseful. 

“Just the two..”

“I don’t believe you…” she whispered as tears of anger streamed down her face.

“Abby, I'm sorry. I screwed up.”

“Fuck Jake, will you stop saying that!”

“What can I do?” he said in a whisper. “Abby, I have a problem.”

She looked at him with disgust, not fully believing he didn’t understand the level at which he had just hurt her. He stared back, his eyes wide and remorseful, like a little boy who had just broken a window with a baseball, not a man who had just admitted to cheating on his wife with not one, but two different women over the span of their six year marriage. For a moment, she just stared at him. The doctor in her trying to decide if he was in complete denial or if he needed a psych consult. 

“Go Jake. Please don’t come to my office again. If you need to talk with me, you can contact my attorney.” her voice was cold and flat. 

“NO! We’re going to talk this through. I’m not walking away from our family. I’m not losing you.”

“You already have.” His eyes bore into hers as she continued “This isn’t your choice Jake!” She yelled at him, not caring that there were likely people outside her office that could hear her. 

Marcus was about to knock on Abby’s closed door when he heard her strained voice and Jake’s name. 

He didn’t know what snapped inside him, but he pushed the door open not bothering to knock first.

Both Jake and Abby’s heads snapped towards the door as it unexpectedly swung open. Abby was visibly relieved to see him but Jake’s posture immediately hardened. Marcus’s eyes first went to Abby before shifting over to Jake. 

“Well look at that..” Jake’s voice was full of venom, clearly angry that Marcus was interrupting his conversation with Abby. “Here comes Marcus to save the day.” Jake laughed bitterly as he shook his head. ”Now I understand why you don’t want to fix things with us. This was just what you wanted… the excuse you need to go running back to him..like you always do. Don’t think I didn’t notice how quickly you packed up our daughter and ran to him.” 

Jake turned to face the window as Marcus’s eyes shot back to Abby, pleading for an explanation he knew she couldn’t yet give. They both flinched as Jake’s fist made contact with the wall. Turning back to Abby, Jake’s face was red and twisted with fury. “You’re going to stand there and give me hell about Becca…” he paused as a sneer grew on his face. “I bet you’re already fucking him aren’t you.”

“Fuck you Jake..” Abby hissed, rage almost consuming her at his accusation. 

Jake took one step towards Abby and Marcus instinctually moved to block him, his body tensed to physically stop Jake if needed. He had no idea what he had just walked in on, but there was no way Jake was getting anywhere near Abby.

“Jake, you need to leave..” Marcus’s voice was calm, but firm.

Ignoring Marcus, Jake gritted his teeth and continued his assault on Abby. “You think you’re fooling everyone with this friendship bull shit. You’re judging me because of a lapse in judgement, but we all know that he’s the real reason we’re in this position Abby.” 

Abby’s hand flew to her forehead. “Oh my god..” she looked at him incredulously. “Are we really back to this?”

He looked at her with a smug satisfaction, knowing that he had successfully pushed one of her buttons. Frustration and anger vibrated through her being. Marcus was suddenly very uncomfortable being present for this conversation, but there was no way he was leaving her alone with Jake. 

“God you’re pathetic Jake. You don’t get to blame this one on him. I made it very clear from the start that he would always be in my life. You told me you understood that.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but Abby beat him to it. “You can’t seriously try and blame this on me...on Marcus. Tell me how this is my fault Jake. Tell me how it’s my fault that you’ve been unfaithful..” 

“You never have time for me any more Abby. You take care of everyone else before me. Do you know what that feels like? To be last on the list of your wife’s priorities. If it’s not Clarke, it’s work, or Callie needs you for this, Marcus needs you for that..What about what I needed?”

She scrunched up her face as she tried to process what he had just said. “Tell me you’re not seriously jealous of our five year old.” Abby dropped her hands to her hips as her eyes narrowed at him. “She’s a little girl Jake. She requires a lot of attention, this is how this parenting thing works. Am I really supposed to ignore her needs because her father needs me to go upstairs and give him a blow job.”

“That’s not what I’m saying Abby.” he hissed.

“I’ve done everything that I could to make you feel wanted, taken care of. If you were so unhappy, you should have said something.” 

“I tried.” he said bitterly.

“Did you?” she spat at him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “God Jake. You are so full of shit. You’ve been sleeping with other women our entire marriage and it’s only when you get caught that you try and spin this like you’re some kind of a victim. You need to get some damn help Jake.”

Jake remained silent, his eyes blankly staring at Abby.

Finally after a few moments, she spoke, her voice a pleading whisper. “Just sign the damn papers Jake and get out of my life.”

“It’s not that simple any more Abby. You know that.”

Jake’s eyes trained on Abby, giving her one last opportunity to confess what he already knew. When she remained quiet, he pounced. 

“What about the baby Abby?”

She froze and locked eyes with him. Her hand gripping the back of her chair as shock and betrayal caused the room to spin around her.

“What baby Jake?” she spoke slowly, trying to control the fresh wave of emotion coursing through her. _Shit, the sonogram..she silently cursed as panic gripped her. Oh God, I left it on the desk.._

“Is it mine?”

“Fuck you Jake.”

“Is it mine?” he repeated slowly, his voice dripping with venom “or is it his..” Marcus’s eyes shot up as he processed the words and finally understood what was happening. 

Abby looked at Jake with absolute ice in her eyes as Marcus stared at Abby dumbfounded.

“You know what Abby.. while you’re ordering that DNA test for Becca’s baby, go ahead and order one for yours. Who knows, maybe I’m not the only one that’s been fucking around..” 

“You had no right to poke around my desk Jake.”

“And you had no right to hide this from me Abby,” he roared.

She flinched as his words washed over her. “I just found out this afternoon..” she whimpered.

“Order the damn test Abby. I won’t sign the papers until you do.” 

Jake turned and started moving towards Marcus who was still standing in front of the door.

“If you’ve been fucking her behind my back, I’ll kill you.” Jake’s eyes were full of rage. Jake may have been a good 6 inches taller than Marcus, but he was not one to be intimidated by any one. “Are you threatening me Griffin?” Marcus bit back.

“If it’s yours, I’ll fucking kill you Marcus..” Jake hissed before roughly pushing past the man and disappearing behind the door that harshly closed behind him. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me on this journey and for all the feedback. It's very helpful!
> 
> Thanks to Francesca for your encouragement and advice on this story line.


	7. Processing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus tries to figure out what the hell he just walked into..

Still reeling from Jake’s threat and his verbal attack on Abby, Marcus stood rooted in place. The blood coursing through his body made his skin feel like it was on fire. His fists were at his side, clenched so tightly that he was sure his fingernails had broken the skin. His mind was racing in a million directions, trying to piece together what had just happened. Jake and Abby had obviously been arguing before he had entered the office. Marcus knew Jake had been served the divorce papers that morning so he assumed that had been the catalyst for the fight. There was something about other women… Jake blaming Marcus for their problems...… a baby. His mind paused on that last word.  _ A baby?  _

Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, he shifted his focus to Abby. He watched as she slumped down into her chair, staring unfocused at a spot on her desk. She was obviously as stunned as he was by Jake’s meltdown. He observed her for a moment, noting how rapidly she was breathing and that her jaw was so tightly clenched that her lip was quivering. Her eyes were glossy with unshed tears. 

He knew he needed to say something, but he couldn’t formulate the words. He was still in shock from what had just happened, what had just been revealed. On top of everything else, Abby was pregnant. For some reason, Jake had decided to accuse Marcus of being the father, though they all knew it was bull shit. He was disgusted that Jake could think that of Abby. She would never do that to her husband, her family. It simply wasn’t in her character. Too bad she couldn’t say the same for Jake. 

It was sadly ironic how much simpler things would have been if Jake’s assumption was correct and Marcus was the father. This was really going to complicate everything - the divorce, the custody arrangements. Abby deserved better than to have to navigate a new child with a husband that had just destroyed their family and broken her heart. 

“What the hell just happened?” Marcus said in disbelief finally breaking the silence that had settled in the room. Though he could have chosen a better way to say it, his works were gentle, not accusatory. 

“I..um.. I.. I don’t..” Abby stood as she spoke, leaning forward and placing the palms of her hands on her desk. She was trying to speak, but couldn't seem to put her thoughts together. Her emotions were clearly winning the battle her brain was fighting with her body. He watched as her breathing became visibly shallow and her eyes clamped shut. 

“I can’t.. ” she gasped. “Marcus...I can’t breathe.” It was a testament to the internal turmoil she was facing that as a doctor, she didn’t realize what was happening to her own body at that moment. He quickly moved to her side, immediately recognizing what was happening. “Abby..” He said gently, as he placed his hand on her back. “I think you’re having a panic attack.” 

She remained silent as her hand moved to her chest. She was too focused on her breathing to hear him. He quickly thought back to all the things she had taught him over the years. There was a time, when his company had been in its infancy, that he had been plagued with panic attacks. Trying to keep the company going had been beyond stressful and there were more nights than not that he would wake in a cold sweat, not able to breath. Abby had taught him different techniques for breaking the cycle and after a while, they just disappeared. 

“What’s your name?” he spoke firmly, leading to the side to try and catch her eye.

She turned and looked at him wide eyed, not understanding what he was doing. “Come on, what’s your name?”

“Abby.. Abby Griffin.”

“Where are you right now?”

“I’m..um.” She blinked rapidly as she tried to focus. “I”m in my office... at the hospital.”

“What’s your daughter’s name?”

“Clarke” could see her breathing slowing.”Good”

“How old is she?”

“Five”

“How old were we when we first met?”

She was quiet for a moment as her brain fought through the cloud it was in “ Around twelve.”

“Did you like me when we first met?”

She closed her eyes as a small smile grew on her face. “No, you annoyed the hell out of me.” she whispered, eliciting a smile from Marcus. 

He pulled her into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “Breathe Abby.” He gently ran his hands up and down her back, feeling the soft material of her lab coat under his hands. She nodded as she focused on her breathing. “There you go. In and out, nice and slow..”

She nodded slowly resting her head on his chest. 

He held her like that for a few minutes, letting her get the tears out of her system. This was becoming a new normal for them and it infuriated him. He wasn’t mad at her, but at Jake. He had no problem being the one to comfort her. He would stay there with her in his arms forever if that was what she needed, but it was the cause of her tears that angered him to the core. Jake had just made it very clear where he was in all of this and God help him, he would spend the rest of his life making sure that Jake was never in a position to hurt her again. 

After a few moments, she slowly pulled away and frowned up at him. 

“I didn’t think it was possible for this to get any worse..” she whispered sadly. 

He didn’t know what to say, how to express all the things he wanted to say to her in that moment. 

“I’m so sorry you keep getting pulled into this.” She added and she shifted her eyes to the ground. 

“Don’t apologize for him Abby. All I care about is that you’re ok. Fuck Jake, I’m not worried about him.”

She nodded. “God Marcus..This is a nightmare.”

He cupped her face with his large hand and she briefly closed her eyes as she leaned into his hand, taking strength from the contact. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” said quietly, “About the baby, how long have you known?” 

She took a deep breath before opening her eyes and looking up at his dark brown eyes, wide with concern.

“I just found out.. Today… this afternoon....” She whispered, her face scrunching up an unruly tear rolled down her cheek. She reached up, quickly wiping the wetness before continuing. “Since Jake had been with…” she stopped. She couldn’t say it, but Marcus understood. “I thought it would be a good idea to run some tests. Make sure he hadn’t brought something home to me..you know.”

He nodded, his hatred for Jake growing deeper as the depth of her statement washed over him. He hadn’t even fully thought about the repercussions of Jake’s infidelity, the risk not just to their marriage but to Abby’s health.

“Callie called me down to the office around 3 to break the news. She showed me the blood work.” She laughed bitterly. “I made her rerun tests. I didn’t believe her. She did the ultrasound to confirm and to determine the gestational age.”

“So you didn’t”..

“No, I had no idea.” She turned from him and walked over to the window, looking out at the cars and people below. “It’s early.. Really early… “ She turned so she was again facing him. “I’m only five weeks. If I hadn’t had Callie run the tests..” She shook her head, frustrated at the coincidence. “I probably wouldn’t have even suspected for at least another two to three weeks. I was almost 9 weeks before I started having morning sickness with Clarke, so there wouldn’t have been anything to tip me off. I mean I did miss my period,” she paused rolling her eyes. “but.. that’s not uncommon, especially when I’m stressed.” Her face twisted as she processed everything going on. “I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.. We’ve been trying for years Marcus. It’s cruel that just when things fall apart, this is when my body decides to cooperate..” She laughed, out of frustration or bitterness, she wasn’t sure. 

“This is the worst possible time for this. I..” The corner of her lip lifted slightly. “I’m still processing all of this, but God, I’ve wanted this for so long but how am I going to bring a baby into this mess.” She bit her bottom lip as her eyes closed for a moment. “How am I going to do this Marcus?”

“We..” He said firmly. She looked over at him, seeing nothing but reassurance and love reflecting back at her from his soft, brown eyes. He took hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze as the corners of his mouth turned up. “It’s going to be fine Abby. I promise.” 

“You promise..” she whispered as she laughed sadly in disbelief. He looked down at her, watching as her face crumpled in defeat. 

“I promise.” He said firmly. “Have I ever broken a promise to you?” She met his eyes, knowing that he never had. “No, you’ve never broken a promise.”

“Well I don’t intend on starting now. Listen, I.. I know it’s not an ideal situation, “ He paused waiting until her eyes again met his “It’s not ideal, but it’s impossible. We’ll figure it out as we go along. It’ll be fine.”

“When did you become the optimist?” She said with a sad smile. “Side effect of spending too much time with you.” He teased.

His eyes moved to her desk as he remembered something Jake had said.

“How did he know.. about the baby, how did he know if you didn’t tell him?” 

She slowly walked over to her desk, moving a large blue expandable folder and sliding a small glossy black and white picture out from underneath it. Her eyes lingered on the image before handing it over to him. “He ambushed me. I had finished my rounds and was coming back here to meet you. When I walked in, he was here waiting on me. He must have snooped around my desk and saw it. My name’s at the top.. Guess he put two and two together.” 

Despite the situation, warmth flooded her as she watched Marcus staring at the image in awe. 

“Do you see it?” she said gently, knowing that the baby was really too small for the untrained eye to see. He studied the image for a moment before squinting his eyes and pointing at the tiny mass in the middle of the images. She nodded as her hand moved up to cover her mouth. It was if until that moment, she hadn’t let herself even believe that this was real. She let out a shaky breath, a fresh wave of emotion washing over her. 

He ran his finger over the image one last time before handing it to her. “God, Clarke’s going to be so excited.” Marcus chuckled and he beamed at her. “I know this is unbelievably complicated, but Abby…You’re going to have another baby.” There was so much love, so much excitement behind her eyes, that she made sure her next words were as gentle as possible. “I .. we shouldn’t tell her yet.” He understood what she meant, but it didn’t stop the frown that grew on his face as he watched her eyes drop to the sonogram. “Five weeks is really early, Marcus. There’s a lot that can go wrong in the next few weeks. If something were to happen..” She grimaced, “I don’t want to get her hopes up. I need to make it to at least twelve weeks…” her voice trailed off. 

“Is there any reason to think something will go wrong? I mean I know there is always risk, but you’re young.. You’re healthy...”

He recognized the flash of emotion on her face and knew what she was going to say before it left her lips.

“It’s happened before..” she said in almost a whisper. Her finger mindless traced the contours on the paper. He looked at her, not knowing what to say. “About two years ago.. I lost it at 9 weeks. Jake was devastated.” She shook her head at the memory. “Sometimes it just happens..” She trailed off for a moment. “No, there’s no reason to think that it will happen again” she paused, looking up from the photo. “I just don’t want to get ahead of myself..” She smiled at the sonogram before placing it back on her deck. 

He walked over to her pulling her to him and placing a quick kiss to her cheek before wrapping his arms back around her. There was nothing else to say. He understood. 

He pulled back and let his hands fall to her shoulders. “Let me send Indra a quick message that we’re not going to make it and let’s get you home. You can fill me in on what the hell Jake actually said to you.”

“No..” she said softly, interrupting him. She saw the look of confusion on his face. She knew he thought she meant talking about Jake. 

“No, dinner. Please, can we… I want to go, if you still want me to be there. I’m done thinking about Jake. I’m done letting him hurt me...have this kind of power over me.” She shook her head defiantly. “Tomorrow, I’ll fill you in but tonight, I just want to focus on you and forget the rest of this. Clarke is safe with Harper and I just want to forget for a little while.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, not believing she was serious. 

“Marcus this is a huge deal for AST. You’re not missing this dinner because of me.” 

“I’m not going without you. You’re insane if you think I’m leaving you right now. But..”

“Then let’s go.” She affirmed doing her best to relay her sincerity. “I’ll be fine Marcus.. Really. I just need a few minutes to pull myself together. Let me run a brush through my hair and put on some mascara. I’ll be good as new.” 

He eyed her, unconvinced. “Are you sure you're up to it?”

“Yeah..” she bobbed her head. She held his gaze as she tried to give him a small look of assurance. “What better way to distract myself from the train wreck my life has become than enjoying a nice dinner with the father of my baby.” He chuckled as an incredulous smile grew on her face. 

“He’s lost his damn mind Marcus.” 

“He’s just deflecting.” he said with a quick shake of the head. 

“I know. Classic Jake… always looking for someone else to blame.” She waved her hands. “I’m done. I just can’t with him anymore. I need this to be over.”

“I know.. ” She ran her hand through her hair, skillfully grabbing her long chestnut locks, twisting it expertly in her fingers and bringing it neatly to rest on her left shoulder. 

“Marcus” she exhaled as she looked up. “Please get me out of here.”

“You’re sure?” He asked one last time.

She reached up and cupped his face with her small hand. “I promise, I want to go. That’s what I didn’t cancel earlier. None of this is going anywhere.” She said waving a hand at her stomach. 

“I just want to focus on you for tonight... to be there with you.”

He ran his hands up and down the sides of her arms as he exhaled, unsure if this was really what was best at the moment. 

“Ok, but the minute you are ready to go..” She stopped him before he could finish his statement. “I promise I’ll let you know. Just run interference for me about drinks and make sure we find some chocolate. ”

He chuckled as her smile grew. 

“I can do that.” 

“Give me five minutes and we’ll go. I’ll be right back.” She smiled softly at him and quietly disappeared to her office bathroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for staying with me on this. I promise good things are coming, but sometimes we have to move through the bad to find the good. Next up, Marcus and Abby attend a hospital fundraiser where Marcus finds himself the target of some unwanted attention.


	8. Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby and Marcus attend a hospital fundraiser together.

“You look pretty Marcus.” Clarke said sweetly as she wrapped her arms around his leg and looked up at him with her piercing blue eyes. He smiled down at her and then returned his attention to his bow tie. He pulled the material through the last loop and frowned at the final product. With a huff, he untied it and began again. 

“What was wrong with it?” Clarke questioned as she tilted her head at him in confusion. “It was lopsided.” He answered bluntly, chewing his lip in frustration at his inability to tie a simple bowtie. She raised an eyebrow at his words, so he tried again. “The two sides of the bow weren’t the same size. It looked silly.”

She nodded and started to giggle. “It’s ok Marcus. You just have to practice. You’ll get it one day.” She smiled brightly at him, obviously pleased with herself for passing on a piece of advice.

“Can I try? Mommy taught me how to tie my shoe. It looks like the same thing.” He chucked. “When did you get so smart?” He leaned down and picked her up, setting her down on the small table that was below the mirror he had been using. He handed her the bow tie and bent down so she could reach him. “Knock yourself out kiddo. You’ll probably do better than I did.”

She wrapped the material around his neck like she had seen him do and frowned as she tried to figure out her next steps. “It’s not as easy as it looks is it?” He teased. She eyed him in frustration and set her jaw as she tried again. She managed to tie the first knot, but couldn’t figure out what to do from there. Marcus felt a warm hand slide up his back between his shoulder blades, drawing his attention to the mirror and the woman now standing behind him. 

“You’d think you would have learned how to do this by now.” She teased. “Here, let me.” Marcus straightened and watched as Abby’s arms snaked over his shoulders, taking the silky material in her hands. Watching her work in the mirror, she skillfully formed a perfect bow. “Good job Mommy!” Clarke exclaimed as her little hands clapped together. “See Marcus, you just need to practice.” 

“Hush you!” He said lifting her from the table and placing a quick kiss to her cheek before setting her down on the ground. 

“Mommy! You look like a princess!” Clarke said with a wide grin. “Doesn’t she look a princess Marcus?” He turned and his breath immediately caught in his throat. She was wearing a full length, sleeveless, flowing navy blue dress with a plunging neckline and gorgeous beaded embellishment at the front waist. A simple, but elegant silver necklace shimmered just above the swell of her breasts and on her ears, dangling navy blue gemmed earrings. Her hair was perfectly curled in long loose waves that cascaded over her tan shoulders. She was breathtaking and Marcus swallowed hard as he tried to find his words.

“You look..” he smiled. “You look stunning Abby.” She blushed as his eyes traveled up and down her body. She smiled as she placed her hands on his chest, slowly moving them up until they were back on the bow, giving it one last adjustment. 

“You don’t look so bad yourself.’ She said with a sweetly seductive lilt that made his heart start to beat fast in his chest. “I’ve always liked the way you looked in a tux.” Her eyes lingered and it was his turn to blush. “Thank you for going with me tonight Marcus. With you there, at least it will be bearable.” 

“You had me at open bar..” He grinned broadly at her as he wagged his eyebrows. “It’s the only reason I ever go,” she smirked back. “Guess you’ll have to drink for me this year.” Her hands dropped to her abdomen as she stared at herself in the mirror, turning to look at her profile. “I was nervous this would be a little snug. I bought it a few months ago.” 

“No one will even suspect Abby.” The doorbell rang, interrupting their moment. “Harper!!!” Clarke squealed as she went running from the living room past them to the front door. Marcus let out a small chuckle as he followed Clarke to the door. 

“Hi there munchkin! Did you miss me?” Harper said happily as she scooped Clarke into her arms. 

“Mommy! Harper’s here!!” Clarke announced as Abby walked to the foyer to say hello.

“I see that. Hi Harper, thank you so much for watching her tonight.” 

“Wow, Abby! You look… hot!” Harper said beaming at Abby, causing her cheeks to flush at the attention. 

“Thank you.” She said with a small laugh at her choice of words. Harper looked at Marcus and nodded in approval. “You too Marcus! You guys clean up well!” 

“This event is usually over by 10:30, so we should be back by about 11:00-11:30.” Abby said brightly as Harper set her things down on the table in the foyer.

“No problem. We have a full night of Frozen ahead of us, stay out as long as you want. We’ll be fine.”

“Harper.. Harper, did you bring it?” Clarke’s eyes went wide as her small hands cupped both sides of the woman’s face.

“Maybe..” She scrunched her nose at Clarke, placing her back on the ground. “Go upstairs and get your Elsa dress on. Time for our marathon.” The young girl squealed and did a little dance before disappearing upstairs. 

“Thank you for picking up Frozen 2 for me Harper.” Abby smiled as she handed a check to Harper covering her sitting fees for the week as well as reimbursement for the Blu Ray. 

“No problem. Is it sad that I’m actually looking forward to watching it with her?” 

“I think it’s become her mission in life to make everyone fall in love with that movie.” Abby said with a quick smirk turning and walking towards the kitchen. 

“There is lasagna in the oven and a salad in the fridge. If she eats her salad, there is cookie dough ice cream in the freeze. The house is pretty well stocked with food, so please help yourself to whatever you’d like.”

“It smells great!” Harper said peeking in the oven. 

“Wish I could take credit. Marcus was the chef tonight.” She admitted cheerfully, turning to see him leaning against the door into the kitchen. 

“Impressive” Harper replied with a quick nod. “Looks good in a tux and can cook. I see why you keep this guy around,” She winked as she turned to lean against the island counter.

“It’s one of my mom’s recipes. The secret is in the sausage.” He winked “Hope you like it.”

“Oh my gosh! Lasagna is my favorite! Can’t wait” she replied, the last words coming out in a huff as Clarke came barreling back into the kitchen, about knocking her over as she latched onto her legs. 

“Can we start the movie now?” Clarke beamed as she smiled hopefully up at her babysitter.

“Dinner first..” Abby reminded from across the room, watching as the little girl’s smile drop into a pitiful frown.

“Abby, we probably need to get going.” Marcus said looking at his watch. She nodded, walking over to Clarke and giving her a kiss on the head. “Be good, monkey! Don’t drive Harper crazy!” 

“I won’t!” She said looking only slightly offended. 

* * *

Thirty minutes later Marcus parked his car at the Arcadia Museum of Art. He quickly exited the vehicle and moved to open the door for Abby. She took his hand as she stepped down out of the SVU, quickly running a hand down her dress to straighten it. “How do I look?” She said beaming up at him. “Gorgeous..” He affirmed as he offered his arm to her. She intertwined her arm with his and the pair began to walk towards the building.

“So, remind me again, who am I keeping you away from tonight?” Marcus said in a low voice as he placed his free hand on their joined arms. She offered him a half smile, remembering she had asked him to run interference for her with a few people that likely would be in attendance. She had done it for him many times over the years, and he was happy to return the favor.

“Number one is Theo Jaha. He’s the pediatric chief.” Marcus nodded. “Yes, I remember the name.”

“He’s one of those close talkers that is a little too affectionate for normal conversation. You literally can not have a conversation with him without him touching you in some way.” She shook her head obviously unnerved by the man. “He always over indulges at these things and it just puts him into overdrive. It’s really uncomfortable to stand there while he basically undresses you with his eyes.” She cut her eyes at Marcus and he cringed. 

“Lovely..” Marcus said, his voice dripping with disdain.

“And I don’t know if he’ll be here tonight, but Cage Wallace. He’s a pharmaceutical rep and I think he’s got a thing for me." She said with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "He’s always following me around and honestly, it’s just creepy.” 

Marcus stopped in his tracks, pulling her to a stop. “Cage Wallace from Wallace Pharmaceuticals?” he said, staring at her with great concern.

“Yeah..” she murmured with knowing eyes. “I’ll play nice, I promise. I would never do anything to threaten this deal for you, but seriously, the guy’s creepy.” They started walking again. “Have you met him before?” she said breaking the silence.

“Cage, yeah, he’s been at some of the meetings. I’m surprised he’s still doing hospital visits. With his father owning the company, you’d think he’d be playing golf and collecting paychecks instead of visiting doctors.”

“Yeah, I don’t get it. I get the impression that he only visits a handful of hospitals. For some reason, he and Jaha are close. Birds of a feather I guess… He shows up at least once a month and always tries to find me, even though there really is no reason for him to... Jaha makes the purchasing decisions.” Marcus shot her another look. “Exactly!” she said dismissively. “Jackson is always on high alert for him and is usually successful at keeping him away from me, but every few months..." She trailed off, the corner of her lips dropping downwards. Every few months, I get pinned down. One of the nurses usually rescues me after about five minutes. ”

“That bad huh?”

“He makes me nervous.” There was a concern in her voice that put him on edge. “Jake used to follow me around at this thing every year just to make sure Cage didn’t forget that I was indeed married.” She frowned at the memory of Jake. They had shared years together and as much as she wanted to erase him from her existence, she knew it would be impossible. There would always be memories they shared. “Knowing Cage, he already knows about the divorce and will be sniffing around all night.” 

Marcus frowned at that, “Sounds like I have my work cut out for me.” 

“Well, on the plus side, Callie will be there and Eric said Nate is coming.”

At that Marcus smiled. Nate had recently started working with AST. He was a talented programmer and was a very welcomed addition to his team. “Good, I like him. He’s a nice guy."

“He’s been great for Eric. I’ve not seen him this happy in years.”

Marcus smiled at her words. She loved Eric Jackson like a little brother. He had done his internship with her and then his residency. He had become her right hand man at work and Marcus had always appreciated Eric’s protectiveness for Abby. It had always made him feel good that there was at least one person at work looking out for her.. Making sure she didn’t push herself too hard.. Or get herself into trouble with her mouth. He smiled at that last part. He and Eric were probably the only two men on the planet that weren’t scared to stand up to Abby when she was in one of her “moods”. He was by far the best at talking her down off the ledge, but he had to admit Eric was a close second. “Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to sit and talk with Nate. Maybe get to know him a little better.”

“As long as you keep Jaha and Cage away from me...” She glanced over at him and he squeezed her arm. “Just give me the look and I’ll come running.”

The pair walked into the expansive two story lobby of the museum and Abby stopped for a moment as her eyes scanned the room. There were at least 50 tables scattered around the lobby and there were balloons and flowers elegantly placed making the room feel more intimate than it was. There was an open concept gallery space on the left that was functioning as the silent auction room and on the right, there was a small jazz combo and dance floor. She nudged Marcus and his eyes followed hers to the bar where there was already a pretty substantial line. 

The party was already in full swing by the time they walked through the door and Marcus suddenly felt a bit unnerved. He had been to plenty of these events over the years, but as he looked around, he found that he didn’t recognize anyone. She had accompanied him to plenty of these types of events in the past and it suddenly occurred to him that this is what she must have felt walking into a room where she didn’t have a connection to anyone but him. It was just another reminder that he was in _her_ world now. A world that up until that moment, had always been somewhat of a mystery to him.

It wasn’t like he had never been to the hospital, or seen her work with patients, but he had never really had the opportunity to see her interact with the people with which she spent her days. Other than Callie and Jackson, he only knew her other colleagues by name. Jake had always been the one to go to these events with her. Now that Jake was out of the picture, the job was his and he was happy to do it. 

Marcus has always known that Abby was a well liked and highly respected doctor within the Arcadia hospital system, but following her through the crowd and watching her interact with colleagues made it undeniably evident how much she was loved. Not that he was surprised, but it warmed his heart nonetheless. 

Marcus followed her dutifully as they walked around the room, making the obligatory greetings and introductions. She was playing the game, making sure to make connections with the right people. He hated that she had to do it, but understood that just like in his world, it was necessary. Though success in the medical world should have been isolated to knowledge and skill alone, Abby had explained to him years ago that more times than not, it was who you knew, not what you knew that allowed you to move up through the ranks. It was mind blowing to him, but at the same time, a hospital was a type of business. It made sense that it would have many of the same pitfalls and games as the corporate world.

As Abby moved through the room, Marcus became acutely aware that some of the attention she was getting was less than honorable. She was a beautiful woman and he had always noticed the way eyes would follow her when they were out in public, but tonight was different. Some of the smiles were a little too flirtatious, the glances lingering a little too long. He couldn’t help but notice small pockets of men basically eye fucking her as she walked by, awakening a primal possessiveness in him that he hadn’t expected. 

He wondered if news of her pending divorce had become public knowledge around the hospital, because once he had noticed the looks, it was hard for him to unsee them. There was blood in the water and the sharks were out. He felt sick to his stomach. He knew it was hypocritical for him to judge them for something he knew he had been guilty of in the past, but this was different. This was Abby..his Abby. She was not some game to be played, something to be possessed. They were all unworthy of her.

He also noticed the looks these same men were giving him as he stood beside her. He hated himself for it, he couldn’t help the smug smile that played on his face when he saw the jealousy in their eyes. 

He wondered if she was aware of the attention she was getting or if she was oblivious to it. Was this normal for her, to be viewed by her younger male colleagues as a conquest to be had or was it just the atmosphere of the room that had everyone a little more relaxed, a little less professional..

It wasn’t until he felt her fingers brush his palm and thread into his that she confirmed his suspicion. She had noticed the looks and she was uncomfortable. By taking his hand, she was making it very clear to anyone watching that she was there with him. Despite himself, he couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face at her silent declaration.

When they finally spotted Callie and her fiance at their table, Abby visibly relaxed. 

“Look at you!” Callie said, rising to greet her friend. “I’m so glad I talked you into that dress. It’s stunning on you!” 

“You look beautiful Callie.” Marcus said moving over to give her a brief hug. A tall man with curly blonde hair stood beside Callie, reaching out to introduce himself to Marcus. “ Russ Daniels, I’m Callie’s fiance. You must be Marcus.” The man said with a quick smile as Marcus shook his hand. “Marcus Kane, nice to finally meet you Russ.” 

“I was just heading to the bar.” The man said placing his hand on the small of Callie’s back. The man nodded towards the bar and raised his eyebrow at Marcus, a silent invitation for him to join him.

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. At least the line is getting a little shorter. Abby, do you want me to get something for you?” She nodded as she sat down and the two men disappeared into the crowd. 

Abby didn’t miss the disappointed look on her friend’s face. “I’m not that dumb Cal. We have an arrangement, he’s getting me a vodka cranberry..” She grinned tilting her head “ minus the vodka.” Callie laughed, “We’ll that’s one way to avoid the conversation.”

“Worked well last week when we went to dinner with some of his work colleagues.”

“How are you feeling, by the way?”

“Good, the fatigue is starting to set in, and I think my breasts are already growing…” She frowned down as she unconsciously pulled the straps of her dress up a bit. “I feel like I’m on total display in this dress.”

Callie bit her lip trying to suppress a smile. “If I remember correctly, they did grow quite a bit last time.”

Abby shot her a disapproving look and Callie wisely dropped the topic.

“What about Jake?” Heard anything else from him?”

Abby chewed her lip. “He’s sent me a few texts apologizing for his behavior last week, but I’ve not responded. Pike got a letter from his attorney yesterday requesting the paternity test.” 

“He’s seriously pursuing that?” Callie sighed with a roll of the eyes.

“Yes and no. He’s playing a game. He knows it’s his, but in California, unless you establish paternity via testing, you have to wait until a child is born to finalize a divorce. He knows that there are risks with the amniocentesis and he’s betting on the fact that I probably won’t do it.” She shook her head. “This is his way of delaying the divorce. I just don’t understand why he's trying to delay this. It's not like I've given him any hope that we can work through this...”

“The risk is really low Abby.If you want to do it..” Abby nodded at her friend. “I know.”

“Well, whatever you decide..” She took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze, just as Marcus and Russ returned with Eric and Nate walking up behind the men.

An hour later, dinner had been served and everyone was fully enjoying the evening. Jaha had already been by the table once eliciting eye rolls from both Abby and Callie. Marcus had understood immediately why Abby was uncomfortable around him. When he approached the table, he intentionally stood between the women, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. It took everything in Marcus’s being to not to jump across the table and punch the guy in the face when he saw him look down with nothing but lust in his eyes, trying to get a peek at Abby’s breasts. 

Seeing the look in her eye, he had faked getting a message on his phone and told Abby that the sitter needed her. Abby had smiled in relief as she grabbed her phone and disappeared. As soon as she walked away, so did Jaha. 

_Disgusting.._ Marcus told himself as he watched the man walk off. _How is that guy her boss?_

There had been no sign of Cage Wallace, so Marcus had been able to relax a little. Marcus had caught Jaha ogling Abby and Marcus was sure that the look he had given the man was enough to keep him at bay for the rest of the night.

Marcus, Nate, and Eric were chatting about work when Marcus realized that Abby had been gone a while. He scanned the room, smiling warmly as his eyes saw her over by the silent auction tables, talking to an older woman about one of the baskets. Satisfied that she was ok, he returned his attention to Nate and Eric.

Abby listened intently as the woman explained the details of the boat that was being auctioned off. Thought she had no intention of putting a bid on it, she just couldn't find it in her heart to offend the woman by walking off mid sentence. Once she had listened to the entire, extensive list of features, Abby had put down an obscenely low bid and moved a few tables down to look at the next item. She had barely started reading the info card when a familiar voice interrupted her.

“Who’s the eye candy with you tonight?” Abby rolled her eyes and turned to give a disapproving look at Diana Spencer. “Seriously, you have a gift at finding truly hot men. What's the story with you two?”

“He’s a friend, Diana.”

“A friend with benefits?” the woman teased. 

“You know it is possible for a man and a woman to be friends..”

“What’s that like?” Diana chuckled as Abby just shook her head in disbelief at the woman. 

Abby and Diana had started at the hospital at roughly the same time. They were somewhere between acquaintances and friends. Abby had always found her to be funny, but they had little in common. Diana was always about finding her next sexual conquest and thought Abby was crazy for settling down and starting a family. Professionally, they got along, but personally, they just were too different for a good friendship to form.

“Seriously though, you’re just friends?”

Abby smiled at that simple statement. They were way more than just friends, but how do you explain their history to someone in a few short sentences? “He’s my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were young kids”. Diana nodded her head. 

“So is he seeing someone at the moment?” Diana asked point blank. Abby immediately felt a wash of emotion that she didn’t immediately recognize, but bothered her nonetheless.

“Yes” she lied. “Yes, he’s seeing someone. Sorry Diana. You’ll have to find someone else to take home tonight.” She glared at Diana, hoping that the woman would just move one. “Damn” she grumbled. “Well, it can’t be too serious if he’s here with you tonight.” She pushed.

“He’s in a relationship, Diana.” Abby reminded a little more harshly than she had intended. “Ok ok.. “ the blonde said, holding up her hands, not a bit ashamed. 

“How are you sweetie?” Diana said gently nudging. “I heard you’re getting a divorce, I’m sorry.” To her credit, she actually sounded sincere.

“Thanks, I’m doing fine. In the long run it’s probably for the best.” Diana nodded simply and looked down at her empty glass. “Well time for a refill. Do you need anything?”

“No I’m ok. Thank you though. I’m thinking about putting a bid down on one of these vacations. Might be good to get out of town for a weekend.”

“Absolutely. Check out the ski trip over there.” She pointed to a table a little further down the line. “It’s a beautiful cabin outside of Breckenridge and last I looked the bids weren’t outrageous.”

“I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks Diana.” 

“Good talking to you Abby.”

“You too.” and just like that the woman disappeared as quickly as she had arrived. Abby shook her head in disbelief. She saw right through Diana. The only reason she had even come to talk to her just then was to get information on Marcus. 

_As if I’d ever let you get near him.._ She thought bitterly. _You’re nowhere near good enough for him.._

A few minutes later, Callie walked over to her with a huge smile on her face.

“What are you grinning about?”

“Oh nothing. Just something Diana just told me.” Abby simply nodded, pretending to look at the information about a spa day that was being auctioned. “So tell me Dr. Griffin, who is Marcus dating?”

Abby did her best to look unaffected by the question, but Callie knew her well and the corners of her lips grew into a knowing grin. 

“She’s not right for him.” Abby defended “And you know it..”

“Jealous?” Callie challenged with a look of total amusement on her face.

Abby’s mouth fell open at the accusation and her eyes narrowed at Callie “Protective..” She challenged back.

“Hmm” Callie hummed as she turned and leaning back against the table, crossing her eyes to study Abby.

“You can’t fool me..”

Abby didn’t take the bait and Callie chewed her lip as she tried to decide if she was going to push her friend into a realization that she had come to weeks before. Unfortunately for Abby, Callie was already four drinks in and her inhibitions were long gone. 

“He’s in love with you. You know that right?” 

Abby tensed at the words. “Callie...” she warned turning her attention back to the literature before her.

Callie shook her head and pursed her lips. “I’m not wrong and I think you’re in love with him too. I mean come on. You are living with him. Clarke adores him and he her. I’ve watched the two of you together. You’re basically already married...just without the sex part.” She raised her eyebrow at her friend. “I’m assuming at least.”

“I’m in the middle of a divorce Callie… and pregnant” Abby hissed “Just in case you’ve forgotten. I’m not sure this is the time..”

“Ah ha..so I’m right.. You are in love with him..” she stated triumphantly.

Abby looked at her with contempt. “I didn’t say that!” 

“And you didn’t deny it either” Callie said smugly. Abby exhaled in frustration. “Listen sweetie, I’m not trying to push you, but at some point I think you are going to have to acknowledge that you both have moved way beyond just friends. I get it, your life is a little complicated at the moment but despite everything, when you’re with him, you're happy. You can try and fool yourself, but you can’t fool me. You love him, even if you aren’t ready to admit it and there is no denying that he’s already there. I can see it in his eyes. I’ve always seen it.”

“Are you through?” Abby said looking at Callie with eyes begging her to let this go.

“I know things are complicated Abby, but did you ever think that all of this is life’s way of giving you two another chance?” 

Abby stared silently at her friend.

“I never understood why the two of you didn’t end up together.”

“Callie, please..”

“Ok ok..I’ll drop it but there are always going to be Diana’s out there Abby. If you don’t want to lose him, sooner or later, you are going to have to stop ignoring your feelings. He won’t make the first move. He’s waiting on you. Just take the leap..I promise you won’t regret it.” 

Callie held her eyes for a few moments before moving away from the table. “I'm going to go find Russ. You’re welcome by the way.” Abby eyed her suspiciously. “When Diana asked if he was really in a relationship, I didn’t lie. I told her he was.” She smirked at Abby as she continued “Because we both know he is.” The woman walked away with an amused laugh, leaving Abby with more questions than answers.

Abby didn’t want to admit it, but something _had_ shifted in their relationship over the last few weeks. At first it was just little things that she noticed like how his simple presence in a room would make her feel warm. The way his hand would linger on her lower back as he would reach over her to grab a coffee mug in the morning and the disappointment she would feel when the contact was lost. 

It was the way he would smile at her when their eyes met across the room, making her feel things that she had never felt with Jake, even when things had been good between them. 

It was the way he could read her with a quick glance. The way he was the only person in her life that would drop everything to be with her at any time no matter what the circumstances, simply because she needed him. It was the way he cared for Clarke, like she was the most precious gift in the world simply because she was the daughter of his best friend. 

It was the way she had slept more soundly over these last few weeks in his arms, than she had in years and ultimately, it was that she knew, without a doubt, that waking up in his arms every morning was her favorite thing in the entire world. If she was honest, she knew that she could no longer comfortably live without him and that realization, above everything else, scared the hell out of her. 

What if she took a chance and things didn’t work out between them? The thought alone made her sick to her stomach, made it hard for her to breath...

She did love Marcus, more than anyone else in her life, except maybe Clarke, but the love she felt for her daughter was different than the love she felt for Marcus. Abby knew there was something between them. Something real and something amazing, but she had always been too scared to name it, to explore it. She was scared that if she did, then it would become real and if it became real, then it became something she could screw up, something she could lose. She knew to the depth of her soul that she was incapable of surviving the loss. She knew the loss of him would break her into a million pieces and she was terrified she wouldn’t survive. 

But...

What if Callie was right and she needed to just take the leap? What if her fear was keeping her from the greatest journey of her life? What if things were meant to fall apart with Jake? The universe’s way of showing her what she really had with Marcus by making her realize what she had never had with Jake. 

As she stood there silently staring down at the piece of paper in her hands, with a room full of people talking and laughing around her, Abby suddenly came to a realization that knocked the air from her lungs. Callie was right, she did love him. She was in love with him and she couldn’t hide behind her fear anymore.

She made herself turn as she forced air back into her lungs. Her eyes immediately found Marcus sitting at their table across the room and her body responded the way it usually did when she saw him. Her heart started to pound in her chest and her face warmed. She didn’t know what was going to happen between them, but all of a sudden she realized that she was no longer scared to find out. For now, she just needed to get to him. She needed to feel his arms around her. She needed to hear his voice, breathe in his cologne.

She was halfway to the table when a familiar blonde woman sat down next to him, stopping Abby in her tracks. Diana placed a drink down in front of him and Abby watched in horror as she shamelessly reached out to straighten his bowtie. 

_You bitch.._ She mumbled, ignoring the offended look on the face of the woman she had just passed. 

The white, hot jealousy that coursed through her body confirmed her earlier realization. She was in love with him. Marcus was hers. It was childish to think of it that way, but he was. She knew in someway, he always had been hers. Maybe that was the reason he had never really dated anyone. Maybe he had always been waiting for her to finally choose him. As she watched Diana shameless flirt with Marcus, she knew that it was time she claimed what was already hers.

  
  



	9. Buried Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every choice you make takes you on a path.. all we can hope is that the path is the right one...

“So Marcus, Abby said that you used to live in a condo downtown?” Eric questioned as he took a sip of his beer.

“I did.” he nodded, a warm smile spreading across his face at the memory of the place. “I had a two story loft at Whaley’s Mill, down on 8th and 45th.”

“Oh, we looked at that building.” Eric’s eye’s went wide as he leaned forward eagerly. “God, it was nice. You actually lived there?” Eric laughed, leaning back in his chair. "You lucky bastard."

Marcus's lips twisted as he enjoyed the complement. 

“Yeah, for about five years. There are times I wish I had held on to it.” 

"I bet." Nate said joining the conversation.

“One unit came open on the 5th floor a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, we took too long trying to decide and missed our opportunity.” Eric said, the disappointment obvious in his words. Nate frowned down at his drink, telling Marcus exactly what he needed to know about who played what role in that decision. "The more condos we look at, the more I kick myself for letting it slip away." Eric took another sip of his beer before placing it back on the table in front of him. 

“It really was something.. the open concept living room and kitchen, the wood floors, the views..” Eric shook his head, “Our agent said that units almost never become available, so when one does open, you have to pounce. Guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

Marcus nodded. “Sadly, that is pretty accurate. When I listed mine, it was the first one that had been listed in over two years. You can’t beat the location. The building is mainly young professionals, like you guys, so it’s pretty quiet, well cared for, and the amenities are great. Of course, there are the normal things like a dedicated parking spot, a pool, and a pretty nice gym. But then there are the extras, like the roof top deck." Eric nodded, remembering seeing the area on their tour.

"They added that just before I left. It was almost enough to make me stay." He raised an eyebrow at the memory. "It was beautifully landscaped and had all these little seating areas. You could go up there with your guests but still feel like you had some privacy if others were around."

The men both nodded at Marcus.

"I loved the shuffleboard table and dart boards." Nate added, a small smile growing on his face. "And the putting green and golf simulator."

Marcus smiled over at the man, "They were a nice touch. I didn't know you played Nate." 

"Oh yeah, I'm out there any chance I get."

"Well, we'll have to play some time." Marcus beamed over at the man.

"If you're up to it, there are a few of us that are going to play a round the morning of the wedding. You are coming with Abby, right?"

Marcus nodded. "I am. Looking forward to it."

"Well then that's settled. Bring you clubs, I'll put you in my group."

"Thanks, I'd love that. Hopefully Abby won't mind if I join you." Marcus added as he smiled into his glass. Eric warmed at his mention of Abby. Over the years, she had become more than just a mentor to him. They had grown to be close friends and he was fiercely protective of her, just like Marcus. That protectiveness was the common thread that had bonded the two men over the years. When everything had hit the fan with Jake, he was thankful that she had someone like Marcus in her life to help her through it all. Not that she needed a man to look after her, but it made him feel better that she wasn't alone in all of this. 

"I still have a few friends in the building. " Marcus added as his hand drifted up to stroke the beard that he had been growing. "I'll make a some calls and let you know if I hear of something coming open. I'd really encourage you two to keep your eye on that building. Put a bid in immediately on the next unit that opens. You won’t regret it.”

Eric smiled, Marcus's words pulling him out of his thoughts of Abby.

“What made you move?” Nate questioned, “if you don’t mind me asking that is.”

Marcus contemplated his question for a few moments before responding. “You know honestly, I don’t know. I just woke up one day and decided I was tired of living downtown. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my condo. It was convenient, close to the office. I could be at my favorite bar in 10 minutes, but..” Marcus tilted his head as he tried to articulate his thoughts. 

“It sounds weird but.. It started to bother me that I couldn’t see the stars.” He paused for a moment as a warm smile grew on his face. He looked over at Eric, ”I don’t know if Abby ever told you, but we grew up next door to each other. Behind our houses, just into the tree line, was this great treehouse that one of the previous owners had built. God, I lived in that thing.” He chuckled as he continued.

“Abby did too once I finally allowed her to join me.” Eric smiled at the thought of young Abby.

“I bet she was a handful even back then.” Marcus shot him a quick look. “She was exhausting! " he chuckled. "But I loved every minute of it."

Marcus shook his head, returning to his previous thoughts.

“It looked like a perfect little house perched about 10 feet up. It had a retractable rope ladder and a roof with these two large hatches that you could push back and see the sky. At night, one of our favorite things to do would be to grab our sleeping bags, wine coolers too when we got a little order," he admitted with a sly smile, "and just spend the night out there talking and staring up at the stars.” He looked at the two men, a little embarrassed to share such an intimate detail of his and Abby’s past. 

“I don’t think I realized how much I really missed being out in nature, until I moved downtown. I just got to the point where I wanted to be able to go home and disappear into my own world, like I did as a kid.” 

Both men nodded at his words. “And then there was work. The downside of being so close to the office was that I had a tendency to stay late.. very late. The office was only a ten minute walk from my building, so it wasn’t a huge issue to stay until 10-11pm. Now that I live 30 minutes outside of town, staying at the office past 7 just doesn’t have the same appeal. If you ask Abby I’m sure she’d tell you I still work the same amount, but hey, at least I can work with the lake as my backdrop.”

Nate nodded at Marcus’s words and smiled over at Eric. “The man has a point.” Eric frowned over at Nate. He had really wanted to live downtown, but Nate had wanted to be more in the suburbs. Marcus looked between the two men. “I take it you two haven’t exactly agreed on a location?”

“You could say that,” Eric laughed. “With my schedule, I’d really rather be closer to downtown, but Nate’s more like you. He.. ” 

“You guys looked like you could use some company, hope you don’t mind if I join you.” Diana said, interrupting Eric and placing a drink on the table in front of Marcus. The woman pulled the chair out and plopped down in Abby’s seat. 

“Would it matter if I did?” Eric mumbled as he tried to figure out why Diana had decided to intrude on their conversation. It was no secret he didn’t care for the woman. She always had an agenda and unless you had something to offer, she barely tolerated you. Seeing her immediately eye Marcus, he knew exactly why she was there. _Oh Abby’s not going to like this.. He thought as he shook his head at the intrusion._

“Well, Dr. Jackson, aren’t you going to introduce me to these handsome men at your table?”

Eric took a deep, annoyed breath but obliged her. 

“Diana Sydney, this is Nate Miller, my partner, and Marcus Kane.. Abby’s date. ” Eric made sure to put extra emphasis on the last two words as he watched one of her eyebrows raise dismissively at the mention of Abby. Her smile grew tight and her eyes lingered on Eric for a moment, a silent warning for him to play nice. “I don’t think I’ve seen you at one of these before Marcus. I’m sure I’d remember meeting someone..” She smiled playfully at the man as her eyes drifted up and down his body, “As memorable as you.” 

She tipped her head and smiled at him before leaning forward and brushing her finger tips on either side of his neck, just lightly touching his skin before moving to the front of his body and finding the sides of his bow tie . She gave it a quick adjustment as she locked eyes with him. His eyebrows knitted together at the unexpected contact, just before they went wide as her hands dropped below the tie and then slowly moved down his chest. She smiled confidently at him, giving him a nod of approval and a quick wink as she felt his toned muscles under his shirt. “There! That’s better. It was driving me crazy. Now it looks as handsome as you..” The corner of her lip flirtatiously curved up as she sat back, crossing her legs and turning her body to fully face him. 

Marcus shifted uncomfortably in his chair, staring at her as he tried to understand what had just happened. His eyes cut to Eric, hoping the man could offer some explanation as to who the hell the woman was that was eyeing him like a steak dinner. Nate looked back and forth between Eric and Marcus, equally confused. Eric just glared at Diana and did nothing to hide the look of contempt on his face. She was shameless.

“Don’t you have some interns to terrify?” Eric said, already done with her intrusion.

“HA HA” she mocked. “Don’t be rude Eric.” 

Marcus smiled politely at the woman for a moment, before his eyes drifted over her left shoulder and spotted Abby moving in his direction. 

He watched as her eyes narrowed at the blonde and he bit back a grin at the look on her face. He wasn’t exactly sure what had just happened but he knew that Abby had seen it and was clearly not amused.

Whoever this woman was, it was abundantly clear that Abby didn’t want her anywhere near him. It wasn’t just anger or frustration he saw in her face, it was possessiveness and god help him, the look on her face made his heart rate spike. 

Marcus grinned widely at Abby as she quickly closed the gap between them. 

Diana, mistaking his warmness as being directed at her batted her eyelashes as she continued.

“Excuse my boldness, but you looked like you could use a fresh drink.” She reached over and removed his empty glass on the table, replacing it with the one she had brought. As she sat back, he felt her foot just ever so lightly make contact with his calf.

_Does this actually work on men? Marcus thought with amusement._

“Something tells me you’re a gin man…” 

Marcus watched as Abby circled the table and then disappeared behind him. Before he could turn his head to find her, he felt his shoulders warm as her hands made contact with his body. Her fingers sprawled out and traveled down his body, lingering for just a moment before trailing slowly back over the plains of his chest.. He swallowed thickly at the contact, her proximity only intensifying the warmness he was already feeling from the large volume of alcohol he had already consumed. 

“He’s not.. hates the stuff..” Abby said smoothly. He watched as Diana’s smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with a smug frown. She was obviously annoyed that Abby had put an end to her game. “He prefers whisky.. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select if you can get your hands on a bottle...Jefferson’s Ocean if you can’t.” Her words dripped with possessiveness. She was making it abundantly clear that she knew him better than Diana could ever hope to. 

Marcus closed his eyes for a moment as he leaned back into her embrace, placing his large hand on hers keeping them in place. “She knows me..” he hummed as one of Abby’s hands lifted and gently pulled at one side of his bowtie, smiling deviously at Diana as the silky material released. She gave it another slow tug and it unraveled perfectly into her waiting hand.

If he was unsure of what he had seen in Abby’s eyes a few moments earlier, she had just made her intentions very clear. Abby was marking her territory and he grinned, not minding one bit. 

“I need you, Marcus..” Abby hummed into his ear with a low sultry voice that made his groin pulse. There was a seductiveness to the way the words left her mouth that he had never heard before. He didn’t know if it was just the whiskey clouding his judgement, but there was something very different about this posturing from Abby. 

Eric’s eyebrow pulled up at the scene before him and he tried unsuccessfully to bite back a victorious smile as he watched Diana’s jaw stiffened. Abby held Diana’s stare for a few moments, warning her it was time to move on. . 

“Come dance with me.” Abby purred into Marcus’s ear and Diana’s face twisted. 

Not needing any further encouragement, Marcus stood and moved beside her, one hand quickly finding hers and the other moving to the small of her back. 

“Donna, it was nice to meet you. Gentlemen, I’ll see you in a little while. Right now, I need to spend some time with my favorite girl.”

_Donna… Abby chucked to herself. God she loved him._

As Marcus and Abby headed off, Eric looked over at the blonde who was fuming. “Bye Donna..” he smirked as the woman rolled her eyes and stomped away with the petulance of a five year old. 

With Abby in tow, Marcus navigated strategically through the crowd in the direction of the dance floor. When they arrived, he turned and placed his hands lightly on her hips, guiding her into his body. The intimate gesture made her pulse quicken. She slipped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, her eyes fluttering shut as she inhaled the scent of his cologne. They started to move to the music and she couldn’t help the small sign that left her lips as she enjoyed the feel of his large, warm hands on the small of her back. 

_Oh you’ve got it bad.. Her mind teased._

They moved silently in unison to the music for a few moments, both too lost in their own minds to speak. Marcus was replaying the events of the night over and over, trying to decide if it was all in his head or if something was truly shifting between them. By nature, Abby wasn’t a jealous person, but he wasn’t sure if there was anything else that explained what had happened or the look he had seen in her eyes. There was no denying what he saw. The question was, what did it mean? 

Abby, for her part, was trying to battle her body for control of her mind. It felt so natural to be there in his arms and god help her, she loved the feel of his hands on her body, she always had. A wave of guilt washed over her. It was never like this with Jake. She had loved him, there was no doubt in her mind she had loved him, but she was never addicted to Jake’s touch the way she was addicted to Marcus’s. She was thankful they were in a room full of her co-workers, because it was taking everything in her being not to pull his head down to meet hers. She let her mind wander for a few minutes, wondering what it would be like to taste the whiskey on his tongue, or feel his beard between her legs. 

_Damn, Abby, did you get a fresh batch of hormones today? Her mind chastised._

He held her close and she desperately tried to keep her body in check. 

She knew she needed to end this, retreat back to their table before things got out of control, but every time she got up the courage, his hands would move on her and her resolve would disappear. It was as if he could read her mind, and was not going to let her escape.

“Do you remember the last time we danced together?” he whispered into her ear, pulling her from her thoughts. She smiled as the memory came to her. It had been at a mutual friend’s wedding in Vegas, just after college...a few months before Jake entered her life.. 

“I do.” she said softly into his chest. 

“It’s been too long…”

“It has..” she replied, her voice equally soft. 

“I know I shouldn’t be saying this, but I’ve missed you. I’ve missed having you in my arms like this.. having you all to myself. Not having to share you. I’ve missed this..” His confessed with no remorse in his voice, “I’ve missed you... missed us.”

Her stomach flipped and the air left her lungs at his confession. Memories of their time in Vegas flooding back to her.

“How much have you had to drink?” She whispered, her hands mindlessly playing with the small curls at the base of his neck.

“I know exactly what I’m doing Abby. This isn’t Vegas.”

“Marcus.. we.. we shouldn’t be having this conversation..” she breathed as she fought back tears, unable to continue.

“Do you want me to stop?” he spoke softly into her hair as his long fingers sprawled out, stopping just above the curve of her ass. 

Her heart clinched in her chest. She knew this was a mistake, but in that moment, she no longer cared.

“No…”

He smiled at her words, moving his mouth a little closer to her ear.

“Can I ask you something?” his breath hot on her skin, his words just above a whisper.

She didn’t speak, but he felt her nod against his chest.

“What was that back there?”

Abby tensed at the question, the thought of telling him the truth suddenly scaring the shit out of her. They couldn’t do this now, not while he was drunk.. Not while she was still trying to figure out exactly what she was feeling and certainly not in the middle of a crowded room. 

“I don’t know what you mean..” she said flatly, hoping he would take the hint and drop it for now. 

“I think you know exactly what I mean Abby. What was that?”

“Marcus..” she warned.

“Tell me...” he whispered softly against her temple, and she couldn’t control the shiver that ran down her body. 

“I know what I saw Abby. You didn’t like her talking to me.. touching me. You were jealous.”

He felt her stop moving in his arms and he prayed that he hadn’t just fucked this entire thing up. 

_Oh you drunk asshole.. he thought._

He was so sure of what he had seen but in his alcohol induced fog, he stupidly thought now would be the best time to talk about it. 

Her next words fell so softly from her lips that she wasn’t sure he had even heard her. “I was. I didn’t want her anywhere near you. Not her...not anyone.”

He closed his eyes as relief flooded his system. Her words and the alcohol coursing through his systems, suddenly making him very bold.

“I have a confession to make.” he said in a low voice, making her eyes flutter back shut.

“What’s that?” she swallowed, her mind racing to memories that she had kept buried for years. A path that they had started on, but had both decided to abandon out of fear. She was letting this go too far. They were entering dangerous territory, about to cross a line that they couldn’t come back from. The rational side of her brain was screaming at her to stop this before it got out of hand. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling and she needed time to work it out. She couldn’t risk hurting Marcus if these were just misplaced emotions caused by the craziness of her current situation. But then her heart reminded her that these feelings weren’t new. They had always been there, even when she refused to acknowledge them

“Not telling you how I felt that next morning was and will always be the biggest regret of my life.”

She was glad that at that moment his head was buried in her hair because there was no way she would have been able to hide the range of emotions that ran across her face at his words. There it was... Confirmation of what she had always suspected. He had been in love with her all those years ago. The reality of what could have been leaving her speechless.

She could smell the whiskey on his breath and wondered if a sober Marcus would be saying these things to her. 

“Say something.. please..” Marcus whispered. "Tell me I just didn't make a huge mistake." She knew that he had just opened himself up to her and needed reassurance or he would run.. just like he had all those years before. 

“Maybe I have a confession too..” she whispered before she could stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. Warning bells were going off in her head and she ignored them all. 

“Tell me” he hummed as his fingers teased her lower back. 

She remained quiet for a few seconds, trying to figure out if she was ready to jump across the line.

“Tell me” he repeated slowly, the feel of his warm breath on her skin doing things to her that she could no longer deny.

“It’s my biggest regret too. I knew you were too scared to admit what you were feeling and I let you run away.. It’s complicated because without Jake, I wouldn't have Clarke. But I’d be lying if there wasn’t a huge part of me that wished that things had turned out differently for us.” She spoke slowly, but her heart was beating fast in her chest. He at least had the alcohol to blame for his loose tongue. She couldn’t believe she had just admitted that to him, but the thoughts slowly disappeared as she focused on the feeling of his fingers trailing up and down her spine. The contact sent a flood of desire through her body. 

She felt his hands move away from her body and she instinctively stepped back out of his embrace. His hands dropped to his side and she watched him for a moment, wondering if she had said too much. But then she felt his hand touch hers and she closed the gap between them. The air between them was electric. She started to lean into him but then suddenly remembered that they were not alone. 

“Marcus, come with me,” she told him softly, as her fingers interlocked with his. She turned from him and quickly led him to the opposite side of the room, towards the large glass doors that separated the main room from the rooftop terrace. 

“Where are we going?” 

“Trust me.” She responded with a quick look back at him. There was a depth in her gaze that he had never seen before.

Abby pushed open one of the large doors, and led them out into the darkness. There were a few other couples out on the terrace, but no one even seemed to notice their arrival. The evening breeze immediately found her hair and she sighed as she enjoyed the feeling of the fresh air washing over her. Her skin was on fire and she welcomed the cool breeze. He remained silent as she led them to a far corner of the terrace. The museum was situated at the top of a large hill that overlooked downtown Arcadia. It was a clear night and the lights of the city below them and the stars above were the only illumination they had. “I needed some air.. It was a little too crowded in there.” she hummed as she turned, grabbing his other hand in hers and then backing up until she felt the cold stone wall against her legs. 

She pulled him into her body as she spun in his arms so that her back was to him and they were facing out with the lights of the city twinkling in the distance. She pulled his arms around her and he responded by wrapping her in his embrace. She tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck and without missing a beat, Marcus dropped his head to fill the space as he molded his body to hers. The music from inside was still audible outside and instinctively, their bodies began to slowly move.

Marcus was the first to break the silence. 

“You know you have no reason to be jealous right..” Marcus whispered as he breathed in her perfume, enjoying the intimacy of the moment. 

“She doesn’t hold a candle to you.” He felt her shiver at the comment and her breath catch in her throat. “No one ever has. It’s always been you, Abigail.. You know that right…” 

The sound of her full name falling from his lips made her melt. She turned her head and blinked up at him. 

“Why did you run away from me.. in Vegas.. Why didn’t you just tell me how you felt?”

“I was scared.” He answered honestly.

“God, Abby.. that night was amazing. It was everything that I had ever wanted but the next morning.” He pulled back from her and she immediately turned to face him as she felt him pull away.

“You barely remembered what had happened. You were my best friend Abby, the one person in this world that I was supposed to protect, to keep safe. You were so drunk and I knew it. I should have put a stop to it, but you were saying all these things to me and I.. I couldn’t .. I lost my control and that next day I felt like I had broken a trust, taken advantage of you. I hated myself for being so weak. For not being able to resist .. " He ran his hand over his face. "So the next morning, when you laughed it all off as a drunken mistake, I took the easy out. I buried my feelings. I thought I saw something in your eyes, something that told me there was no way you could ever love me the way I loved you. So I kept quiet. I couldn’t risk telling you the truth.. I couldn't risk losing you.” 

She smiled as she recognized the words she had spoken to Callie earlier.

“I just wanted you to be happy.. That’s all I ever wanted for you.. to be happy... even if I wasn’t.” He spoke with such honesty that she found it hard to breath. 

Her heart thumped so loudly in her chest that she was sure he could hear it. Tentatively, she moved her hands to either side of his face and beamed at him, broken tears rolling down her cheeks. 

“Why would you ever think that you weren’t enough to make me happy?”

His face scrunched as emotions overwhelmed him. “Abby, I..”

“Kiss me..” she said breathlessly as her eyes locked with his.

“Are you sure?” he whispered as his lips moved closer to hers “Because once I start, I’m not going to be able to stop.”

“Marcus, kiss me..”

That was all he needed to hear. She felt her back against the wall before she felt his lips taking hers in a deep kiss. Their hands moved freely over each other's bodies, fully exploring what had previously never been allowed. 

When they parted, both in desperate need of air, Marcus couldn’t hide the wide grin on his face. His forehead dropped to hers as his left hand moved to her cheek, gently stroking her face. Her arms wrapped around his body, feeling his warmth against her skin and his desire evident against her lower abdomen. Marcus leaned down as he placed a kiss to her cheek, and then her nose, and finally her neck, finding it hard to stop now that the flood gates had been opened between them. 

“Marcus?” Abby said breathlessly.

“Hmm,” he answered, not bothering to remove his lips from her neck.

“I think it’s time for you to take me home.” He groaned into her neck before pulling back and staring intently down into her eyes. 

“No regrets?” he said breathlessly, not believing this was actually happening.

“None. I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure of anything in my life.” she murmured as her eyes met his, the depth of her gaze telling him everything he needed to know. 

Without any further need for encouragement, his lips were again on hers. He wanted to get lost in her, but knew they needed to stop. At least for the moment. He slowly pulled his lips from hers and wrapped his arms around her small frame. 

“Ok, let’s go get your purse and my tie,” he bit back a small grin, the memory of her taking it off him still fresh in his mind. 

“Marcus, this is..” she cupped his cheek. “I know..” he replied softly. “Come on..” He threaded his fingers with hers as he brought her hand up to his mouth, placing a quick kiss to the inside of her wrist.


	10. Longing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus is having a very hard time behaving...

When Marcus and Abby had returned to their table to say good night, neither Eric nor Nate questioned their early departure. Callie, on the other hand, was highly curious as to why they were suddenly in such a rush to get home. It only took a moment for the pieces to fall into place and Abby knew it was no use trying to deny what Callie had already figured out. Her dark eyes twinkled, as she eyed Abby like a child whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar. Sensing the coming questions, Abby had quickly diffused the situation by pulling Callie into an embrace and whispering quietly into her ear, “Not a word. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you everything. I promise..” 

Callie studied her for a moment before deciding to let her off the hook. “I'll be expecting your text.” She had replied simply, her face twisting into a triumphant grin.

After escaping the table without any further questions, Marcus had followed Abby dutifully around the room as she said goodbye to a few other people. Twenty long and torturous minutes later, they were finally alone and on their way to the car.

As they walked down the stairs outside the museum, Marcus’s fingers threaded with Abby’s. He smiled down at her as he lifted their joined hands to his mouth and placed a kiss to her knuckles. She beamed back at him, still not quite believing how quickly everything had just changed for them. 

Knowing now how Marcus truly felt, and how long he had felt that way, made Abby’s heart hurt. She tried not to dwell on the time they had wasted, but it was harder than she thought. As they walked in comfortable silence, she made the decision to trust that things had progressed exactly the way they should have for them. Maybe 24 year old Marcus and Abby wouldn’t have made a good couple, she rationalized. Maybe Jake had always been a part of her life’s plan, to teach her what love was by showing her what it wasn’t. Maybe it was important for them to go through certain aspects of their lives as friends in order to mold them into the people they were now.. To mold them for each other. 

It had taken them twenty years to get to this place. She had to believe there was a reason for that. She didn’t know what was going to happen for them but everything about this felt right. At the moment, he was the only thing that felt right in her world. She had to trust that despite the storm she was going through with Jake, the universe had a plan and that everything was going to be ok. 

As they turned a corner, a strong cool breeze swept over them. Marcus felt Abby’s body shiver and he suddenly became aware of how much the temperature had dropped since they had left the house hours earlier. He pulled them to a stop and quickly slipped off his jacket, making Abby’s heart warm at the gesture. She smiled softly at him as he draped his jacket over her bare shoulders and attempted to warm her up by quickly moving his hands up and down the outsides of her arms. 

“Better?” he questioned as he tucked a stray lock of her chestnut brown hair back behind her ear. 

“Much.” she whispered, her eyes looking up at him with such intensity that he was finding it hard to breath. 

She stepped into his body and snaked her arms around his waist. He was warm and she couldn’t stop the hum that left her lips as she buried her face in his chest. He responded by wrapping his arms around her, holding her close as if at any moment the bubble would pop and she would be gone. He dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head, reminding himself that this was real. Life had given him another shot at this and he was determined not to waste it. 

“Have I ever told you how damn sexy you are in a tux?” she murmured into his chest, her fingers trailing up and down his spine. 

“Hmm… I should wear this more often then.” He teased into her hair.

“You should..” 

“Have I told you how much I love that dress..” he said in a low husky voice as he leaned into to whisper in her ear, “But I think I’m going to love it more on my bedroom floor.” 

She moaned at the comment as she felt her body respond to his words. His hand moved to her chin tilting it up so that his lips met hers. He kissed her hot and heavy, like they’d been doing it all their lives. She was glad it was dark out and the street was pretty much empty because they were putting on quite a show. She knew they needed to slow things down before they ended up in the back seat of his SUV like a couple of horny teenages, but she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to. Marcus’s hands had moved to her waist holding her to him. He heard her moan against him and when she opened her mouth, he took advantage and deepened the kiss. 

She whimpered and arched into him, making his arousal grow stronger. He wanted to touch her, feel her body against his, be part of her, make her his. He wanted Abby - had wanted her for years - and now he was so close that his body was throbbing with arousal. 

“Marcus”... Abby pulled away, her body bursting with the need for oxygen. At the same time, all she wanted was to feel his lips against hers again. “Marcus.. We need to stop..” 

His lips moved back to her neck and she groaned as her head involuntarily dropped to the side, giving him better access. 

“You’re no fun.” he breathed into her skin as his mouth again moved on her body. Another whimper left her mouth as her hand moved to the back of his head. He felt her fingers tangle in his hair, holding him in place. “I thought we needed to stop.” he chucked. 

“We need to..” she breathed, unable to put an end to it. 

With one final kiss, Marcus pulled away from her body and dropped his forehead to hers.

“You’re going to be the death of me, you know that right?” Marcus smirked as he stole one last kiss. He wrapped his arm protectively around her frame and keep her close as they walked the last few blocks to the car. 

She couldn’t control the wide grin that she knew was plastered on her face. Her body was aching to be close to him and the promise of the night ahead had her more turned on than she had ever remembered being in her life. As she stole a quick glance at him, it was pretty evident that he felt the same. 

Once they arrived at the car, Abby held out her small hand and Marcus placed the keys in her palm with a frustrated sigh. Though it had been at least an hour since Marcus’s last drink, he was still in no condition to drive. He felt guilty that she had to drive them home, knowing how much she hated to drive at night, but she had insisted that she expected him to thoroughly enjoy the open bar since she couldn’t. “For the price of these tickets, you better make sure I get my money’s worth..” She had teased on their way to the party.

The closer they got to the house, the more difficult it was becoming for Abby to concentrate on the road. Marcus was having a very hard time keeping his hands to himself and Abby’s inability to hide her reaction to his touch had only encouraged him to continue.

His left arm had started out resting on the back of her seat, his fingers innocently stroking the soft hair at the nape of her neck. When that contact was no longer enough, his hand had dropped to find hers. It had been sitting on the gear shift between them and his large hand immediately covered hers. Their fingers tangled together and he spent a few moments drawing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. Eventually, she had moved her hand to her lap bringing his hand with hers. 

Unable to resist the temptation, his hand had moved down her leg, stopping just above her right knee. Before she could stop it, a soft hum left her lips as his fingers resumed tracing patterns on the soft exposed skin. At an agonizingly slow pace, his hand moved up her leg, each upward movement exposing more and more of her toned thigh. 

When she would steal a glance at him, he was always looking innocently out at the road ahead but the slight upward curve of his lips gave him away. He knew exactly what he was doing to her and she could tell that he wasn’t the least bit sorry for his behavior. 

By the time they pulled into the entrance of his neighborhood, his hand was so high on her thigh that all it would take was one small shift to the left for him to discover that she had opted to not wear panties that night. She waited patiently for him to make the final move and when she sensed it about to happen, she turned to watch him discover her little secret. His mouth dropped open and his breath caught in his throat as the realization washed over him. All she could do was smile devilishly at the look of pure lust that crossed his face. 

The intimate contact had her body burning with desire, and just when she thought she couldn't take it any longer, Marcus's house appeared in front of her. When she was safely in his garage, his hand slowly moved back down her leg, giving it a quick squeeze before he leaned over and whispered in her ear “Don’t move..” 

He moved around the car to open her door, offering his hand as she slid down out of the seat. He shut the door behind her and before she could register what he was doing, she felt his lips again on hers, the cold metal of the car against her back. She let out a small gasp at the unexpected contact, the coolness feeling amazing against her rapidly warming skin. Through a fog of desire she finally remembered that they had a baby sitter inside that might step out into the garage at any minute to check on them, or even worse her five year old daughter.

“You’re going to have to behave until we get Harper out of here.” 

“I can control myself...” he murmured as his mouth moved down to the swell of her breasts. His hand found its way under the bottom of her dress and she had to remind herself to breathe as his fingers found their target. She melted against him as his fingers teased her center. 

A small moan left her mouth as she tried to keep her mind focused. “ I’m not so sure you can..” she said breathlessly, unable to stop the desire already threatening to take her.

“I was good the entire ride home.” He reminded as his fingers continued to explore her. 

She felt his lips on her ear lobe and her eyes fluttered closed. Her need for him was bordering on the painful. She knew they needed to press pause for a moment, but God help her she didn’t want him to stop what he was doing. 

“She’s going to catch us..” she reminded gently as his lips left her neck and moved to capture her lips. 

“So let her..” he teased. “We’ll give her a good show.” 

She moaned into his mouth and then let out a soft whimper as she felt his fingers retreat. 

“You’re going to pay for that..” growled in a low soft voice as her hand moved slowly over the bulge in his pants. Even through the fabric, she could feel the heat, the throbbing and how hard he was for her. She felt the arousal in her body deepen and he groaned at the contact.

“I'm looking forward to it.” He smirked as he grabbed her and placed another lingering kiss to her neck before grabbing her hand and pulling her breathless towards the house. 

Marcus stayed in the kitchen, trying to regain his composure as Abby went into the living room to find Harper. The girl was mindlessly playing on her phone and much to Abby’s surprise, Clarke was nowhere in sight. Her daughter had a tendency to stay up late when Abby was out and she was thankful that all that stood in the way of picking up where she left off with Marcus as sending Harper on her way.

“How was she tonight?” Abby said brightly as she walked up behind an armchair and smiled at the girl. 

“She was great. We watched both Frozen movies and then some Olaf special.” Harper looked a little confused. “How many of those movies are there?”

“Yeah, just when I think she’s seen them all, there’s some new one that comes pops up on Disney+.” Abby commiserated.

“Hey, just a heads up, Clarke started complaining that she wasn’t feeling well not long after dinner. I checked her temperature and it seemed fine, but as the night went on she just wasn’t herself. She didn’t ask for dessert and even asked to go to bed around 9.”

“Oh no..that doesn’t sound good” Abby signed as Harper gave her a sympathetic smile. 

“I almost called you, but..”

“No, it’s fine honey. She had a long week. We’ll just cross our fingers she is just having a weird night.” Harper nodded as she got to her feel and started to collect her things. 

“Any big plans for tonight or are you heading home?” 

“I’m actually going to go meet a few friends downtown once I leave here. We’ll see where the night takes us.” Abby smiled at the young woman, “Oh to be 20 again..” she teased as Harper shot her a quick guilty smile.

“Keep me posted on our girl. I’ll see you Monday?” 

“Thanks for everything Harper. I don’t know how we survived before you.” Abby pulled the girl into a hug and added, “Don’t stay out too late!!” 

“No promises.” the girl giggled back at Abby. Abby walked Harper to the door and waited until she was safely in her car and backing out of the driveway before closing it. With a large smile she turned off the lamp beside the entry table and went to find Marcus.

She leaned against the door frame of the kitchen and watched as he finished tidying the room. With a small shake of her head, she watched him neatly fold a kitchen towel and place it perfectly next to the sink. _Always so disciplined..  
_

A flash of desire ran through her as she wondered if he was that disciplined in other activities. 

“You know I have a pile of laundry in my room that needs folding if you need to get it out of your system.” She teased as she moved into the room and leaned back against the island counter. He let out a small huff and he turned off the light above the sink, turning to face her, his back resting against the sink. 

“Are we finally alone?” his eyes suddenly dark with desire.

“We are..” She said, her voice low and breathy. 

  
Marcus took in a sharp breath as a lustful smile grew on his face. The only light in the room was coming from the full moon outside and he took a moment to memorize how beautiful she looked bathed in the soft light. 

“God you’re beautiful” he whispered as he moved to close the distance between them. Before she knew what was happening, she felt his hands on her waist easily lifting her body and placing her on the counter. Her eyes fluttered closed as the sensation of her hot skin against the cold granite washed over her. His hands teased her knees and she parted her legs just enough for him to move in and fill the space. He watched her wordlessly, as her fingers made quick work of unbuttoning his shirt. Wasting no time, her hands moved over his toned chest, making him shiver at the contact. She pushed the shirt wide and quickly covered the newly exposed skin with her lips. His hands gripped the countertop as she moved on his chest, enjoying the slow pace she was setting. 

When his need for her finally became too much, he guided her head back up so his lips could capture hers. Her hands were immediately in his hair, deepening the kiss as they released years of pent up frustration. She dropped her hands to the top of his pants and Marcus suddenly was pulled from his haze of desire, memories of the last time they were in this position fresh in his mind. His hand moved to hers and she froze at the contact. “Abby..” he questioned as she opened her eyes and looked into his, a bit confused at the sudden halt in their activities.

She saw the unspoken question in his eyes and she smiled sadly at him. She cupped his face with her hand and looked deeply into his eyes. 

“I want this Marcus. I promise.” 

“If we do this, there’s no going back and I’m... ” he paused trying to figure out the best way to say what he was feeling. “Abby, what if I’m not enough. I’ve never been good at this..”

She raised an eyebrow at him as an amused look crossed her face. He breathed out heavily. Leave it to her to tease him at a moment like this. “Oh, I’m good at this..” he said quickly dropping his eyes between them. “You know what I mean.. relationships.. I don’t have the best track record..”

She couldn’t help the look of disbelief that crossed her face, “Marcus you have always been enough for me.” She could see the self doubt in his eyes. “You aren’t going to lose me Marcus, you can’t.. I promise.” she looked deeply into his eyes as tears started to gather in hers. “I promise. It’s you and me.” Her thumb gently stroked his cheek as a small smile grew on her face. “And you are much better at this relationship stuff than you think. You’ve just not been with the right person.”

His eyes fluttered closed as she reached up and kissed his cheek. She smiled at the look of absolute bliss on his face. “Open your eyes.” He followed her instructions and her heart clinched in her chest at the love she saw reflected back at her in his eyes. 

“Do you love me?” she asked simply, her eyes never leaving his.

“More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.”

“Do you trust me?” The corner of his lip curved up at the question.

“Completely.” he answered honestly. 

“Marcus, if we didn’t have the past that we have, I might think twice about taking this step so soon, but we have known each other almost our entire lives. With everything that we have been through over the years, nothing has ever changed what we have. I think we can handle this. I want to take this step with you. I think we’re ready…” 

He smiled in disbelief at the only person that he had ever truly loved. 

“No regrets?”

“None”

Their lips met with renewed passion. Marcus’s hands moved with the urgency that he had never known before. Abby removed his shirt completely from his body and ran her fingers down his chest as she followed her hands with kisses. When she again reached for his pants, she looked up at him to see if there were any objections this time. His eyes were closed, fully enjoying the moment. She quickly undid the button and slipped her hand inside. Red hot desire filled her body as she felt how ready he was for her. “God Abby” he choked out as her fingers found his tip.

"Not here.. Let's go upstairs." He whispered into her ear as his hands moved to her butt and pulled her towards him. She could feel his erection pulsing against her, right where she wanted him to be. He was about to lift her off the counter when a small voice from across the room caused them to jump apart.

“Mommy..” Clarke spoke in a sob. “I don’t feel good.” The girl started to cry as her puppy dropped out of her arm and landed in a heap on the floor.

Abby took one look at Clarke and knew what was coming before it happened. She had barely slid off the counter and started moving towards the little girl before she saw her eyes fill with tears. 

“Marcus get a towel!” she managed to get out before Clarke got sick on the floor, effectively tossing a bucket of cold water on the both of them. 

After Abby had calmed Clarke down, she had taken her temperature and frowned. Abby had looked up apologetically at Marcus, but instead of disappointment, she only saw concern in his eyes. In that moment, she had never loved him more. 

After quickly cleaning up the small mess, Marcus scooped Clarke up in his arms and carried her upstairs to the bathroom so Abby could clean her up. 

While Abby attended to Clarke, Marcus had gone back down stairs to make sure the house was locked up and to get some cold water for Clarke. 

He had only been gone for about 20 minutes, but when he walked back into Clarke’s room, he found them wrapped in each other’s arms. Abby had obviously laid down next to Clarke to try and get her to go back to sleep and had fallen asleep too. 

He placed the glass of water down beside Clarke and then moved to the closet to get another blanket for Abby. He fought the urge to wake her up, knowing that she would want to pick up where they had left off if he did. 

The last thing he wanted was for her to continue out of some sense of obligation from what they had started downstairs. He knew that Abby would never truly be able to enjoy the moment knowing her daughter was sick in the next room. As much as he wanted her, he needed her to be completely present with him when they took this next step. He had already made that mistake once with her and he never wanted to do that to her again. He wanted their first time together, their first real time together, to be perfect and if that meant that they would have to put it on pause for now, then that is what they would do. They had time to pick up where they left off and what mattered at the moment was Clarke. 

Satisfied with his decision, he covered Abby with a warm blanket and leaned down to place a lingering kiss to her forehead. He took a deep breath as he turned off the light and retreated to his bathroom for a very cold shower. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any parent will tell you that nothing kills a mood faster than a sick child. Poor Marcus...good thing he has a soft spot for that little girl..
> 
> Thanks for all the kind words of encouragement! It's been fun to explore this AU and I'm excited for you to see what is coming next.


	11. Recapturing a Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby picks up where they left off.
> 
> Unapologetic smut. You have been warned.
> 
> We have officially moved to a explicit rating.

When Abby opened her eyes, it took her a few seconds to process where she was. The room was dark and everything was still. The only sound was Clarke’s congested breathing beside her. With a soft groan, she slowly rolled towards the little girl and lightly pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. She was still warm, but it seemed that the Tylenol she had given her was doing it’s job. She didn’t like how congested Clarke sounded, but that was a problem for the morning. She likely just had a virus and it wasn’t worth waking her just to give her a decongestant. 

As gently as she could, she rolled away from her daughter and swung her feet over the side of the bed. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, careful not to disturb Clarke. The last thing she wanted to do was wake her up. Much like her father, Clarke was unbelievably cranky when she was tired and being sick only amplified it. Abby was in no mood to deal with a cranky middle of the night melt down. 

Wondering what time it was, she retrieved her phone from the nightstand and shielded the light from the screen as best she could as she looked at the display.

1:30 am 

_Damn.._ She silently cursed, her heart dropping as her thoughts immediately went to Marcus.

After running Clarke through a quick shower and changing her into clean clothes, Abby had snuggled up next to her daughter. She had only meant to stay long enough to make sure the girl went back to sleep, but the minute her head hit the pillow she was out. 

Looking around the room, she realized that the bathroom light she had left on was now off, so Marcus must have come in looking for her at some point. She was disappointed that he hadn’t woken her up, but wasn’t surprised. Letting her sleep was such a Marcus thing to do. 

She pushed herself onto her feet and stood motionless by the bed, making sure that Clarke didn’t stir. When she was satisfied that she could escape, she tiptoed down the hall to her room. After quickly washing her face and brushing her teeth, she changed into a silky tank top and a light blue pair of sleeping shorts. Abby didn’t anticipate that Marcus would still be awake, but she wanted to make sure she was presentable just in case. She walked back down the hallway, popping her head in on Clarke one last time before continuing down to Marcus’s room. 

Entering the room, she quietly tiptoed to what had become her side of the bed and slowly slipped under the soft covers next to him. Abby had slept in Marcus’s bed for over a month now, but the feel of his extremely soft sheets caressing her exposed skin still made her body hum. 

As Abby shamelessly snuggled up next to Marcus, a disappointed frown crossed her face at the moment that had been lost between them. They had been so close.. So ready to take that next step.. Deep down, she wondered if this was the universe’s way of slowing them down. She knew they had time to explore this.. They had just finally admitted their feelings for each other after years of dancing around it. There was no reason to rush it.. But as she laid there next to him, her arm draped over his chest, her hand over his heart, she couldn’t ignore her body’s need for him. 

Twenty years of pent up longing was hard to deny, and the more the images from earlier replayed in her head, the more she ached for him. She could still feel his mouth on her neck, his large hands warm on her skin, his strong fingers between her legs making her feel things she hadn't felt in a very long time. It had already been a long night and she knew she should just let him sleep, continue things another night, but she couldn’t let it go. She wanted him, no, she needed him and she didn’t want to wait another minute. 

With a devious smile Abby's hand started softly drawing circles on his skin as her hand moved down his toned chest and over his chiseled abs. Her pulse quickened as she felt his muscles slowly moving with the constant rise and fall of his breathing below her hand. Knowing that she was now free to explore his body with more than just her eyes sending a fresh ripple of desire through her. 

Her hands moved at a torturously slow pace, exploring each contour and mentally mapping his body. As a doctor, she intimately understood how his muscles worked, how they knit together under his skin, and from her examination of him, she was already addicted to the image of his body moving on hers. 

She paused when her hand reached the top band of his boxers, looking up at him for some kind of reaction. When he remained blissfully unconscious, she decided to make her next move. Her fingers gently dipped below the material and found his flaccid member. She couldn’t stop the shaky breath that escaped her as she realized that even soft, he was impressively large. She didn’t remember much from their drunken night in Vegas all those years before, but she did remember, very clearly, that he was not lacking in the size department. 

A lustful grin grew on her face as her fingers started to tease him. She wanted to know what he felt like, tasted like. What sounds he made, and how his body would feel intimately pressed into hers. She wanted to know what he looked like when he reached orgasm. What he’d say when he did, and what it would feel like for him to be buried deep inside her. 

Her hand continued to play with him as best she could in the odd angle and it didn’t take long for his body to respond to her touch. He was hot and firm in her hand and when a low guttural moan left his lips followed by her name, it was instantly one of the hottest sounds she had ever heard. For a moment, she thought he was finally waking up but as her eyes studied his face, it was quickly clear that he was still asleep. The realization that he was clearly dreaming of her only made her desire grow. 

She slowly pulled back the covers, shaking her head in disbelief as he remained unaware of what was happening. She slowly slid down the bed and straddle his lower legs. Once in place, she pulled his boxers down as far as they would go and his cock immediately sprung free, slapping up against his stomach. Wasting no time, she leaned forward, her hand gripping him at his base as her tongue moved up his shaft. Her thumb slowly traced the vein on the back of his dick as her tongue swirled his head, eliciting another long moan from Marcus. She took him in her mouth slowly, inch by inch, savouring the taste of him. His hips involuntarily thrust into her mouth as she started to move on him, taking him as deep as she could without gagging. She worked him for a few minutes before moving up to focus on his tip. As her tongue danced around the sensitive bundle of nerves, it was becoming clear that Marcus was finally starting to wake up. Smiling, she deliberately flicked his sensitive slit and he came undone. 

“Abby..” he choked out as his hands immediately tangled in her hair. 

“Fuck… Abby.. What are..” He gasped as she squeezed him unexpectedly. “Abby..” he croaked in response. “You have to stop or I’m going to..” He released a shaky breath as he fell from her lips. 

“Now that I have your attention..” she purred as she moved up his body to capture his lips with hers. 

“Why didn’t you wake me up? ” She whispered seductively into the side of his neck as her mouth closed and sucked gently on a pressure point. He head tipped back as he enjoyed the sensation. “You looked... too peaceful.” He breathed out, his voice hoarse. “Didn’t have the heart to wake you. Clearly my mistake..” He chuckled as she continued her assault on his neck.

“Next time wake me..” She whispered as her mouth returned to find his. He didn’t know what had gotten into her but being woken up by her in this way was the hottest thing he had ever experienced. He felt her hips starting to move on his erection and decided that if he didn’t slow things down, he would be done before they even started. 

He quickly shifted their bodies so that she was on her back and he was hovering above her. She looked up at him and melted as he smiled down at her. His smile always 

relaxed her. After a brief moment, his head bent down and found her neck, distracting her with kisses as his hand brushed the side of her right breast and continued down to find the bottom of the silky material. “This needs to come off.” He gently commanded as he pushed the material up her torso, her body arching just enough for him to pull the shirt over her head. He stared at her in the moonlight, his eyes dark with desire. “God you’re beautiful.” He said before dropping his head, his tongue flick across her right nipple.

Abby arched her back against him, pleasure coursing through her body. Marcus closed his mouth over her nipple and began to gently suck on it, his tongue further arousing her. She rested her hands at the back of his head, her fingers running through the salt and pepper curls at the nape of his neck. 

When he felt her squirming beneath his touch, her uneven breathing showing how much she 

was enjoying his attention, he quickly swapped sides. Abby barely felt the cool air hit her 

body before his hand replaced his mouth. 

She ached for him – every part of her body ached to be touched by him. She wanted to be 

able to feel him as part of her – finally have him as part of her. 

“I need you Marcus” She whispered. He could feel his smile against her skin.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he teased as his mouth moved down between her breasts and across her stomach that was still flat, for now.

Sitting up between her legs, his fingers gently pulled her shorts down, his eyes immediately taking her in as he tossed the material behind him onto the floor. 

He moved back up to kiss her as his hand cupped her center. Abby whimpered, lifting her hips in response to his touch. She pushed her body into him, wanting him to touch her further. He quickly took the message and pressed his thumb lightly against her clit. Marcus delighted in the sounds that emerged from her lips and continued to tease and torment her, his lips finally drowning her cries in a deep kiss.

“God, you’re so wet.” He said, his voice dripping with arousal. 

“So, get those boxers off and don’t make me wait.” she teased, not caring one bit how desperate she sounded.

He did as he was told but as he moved back towards her on the bed, she could sense his hesitation. 

“Abby, is there anything that.. Um.. Do I need to be..” She watched as his eyes focused on her belly and she could see the unasked question in his eyes. He had never made love to a woman that was pregnant and she knew that he was concerned he might somehow hurt her or the baby. Her heart clinched at his thoughtfulness.

“Marcus, the baby is the size of a small blueberry at this point. I promise, you can’t do anything that will hurt either of us. I promise..” 

He seemed satisfied with her encouragement and smiled as he quickly moved back up her body, taking her lips with renewed passion. 

"Marcus...please..." Abby whispered into his mouth. "We can go slow next time... I need you in me now. "

He laughed softly at her words, “So impatient.” 

He pulled back just enough for their eyes to meet and she watched his eyes darkened as his hand tenderly reached down to spread her legs. 

There was silence between them as the thought of what they were about to do took over. 

Abby reached up, her hand cupping his cheek. He turned his head, kissing the palm of 

her hand. “I love you, Marcus.” She breathed as their eyes remained locked. 

"I love you too.. more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone."

She looked up at him, struck by how much passion she could see in his eyes. She’d never seen Marcus like this before, and she found she was already addicted to it. 

He filled the space between her legs, smirking deviously down at her as he made her wait. His hands slowly traced the outline of her breasts before he bent down and flicked his tongue across her right nipple. She groaned, her body responding immediately to his touch. All she could think about was how she wanted him buried deep inside her. 

“Marcus..” Her hands ran down the toned muscles of his back, urging him to give into her desires. “Please... “ 

“Mmm, I’m busy,” he murmured, his tongue moving across to her other nipple. His hand slid down her body and caressed her stomach. “Feeling needy, Abby?”

She ran her tongue over her lips. “Yes… I want you.. Now..” 

He could tell she was aching with need for him, her desire just spurring him on.

“Is this what you want Abby..” He teased as he moved just enough for his tip to tease her folds. Her head shot back into the pillow as her body reacted to the sensation. 

“Yes Marcus.. Please..” 

He’d never felt so aroused before in his life, and the sound of her pleading with him to take her was almost his undoing. Marcus bent down and kissed her deeply, before thrusting inside her. She gasped as he filled her and he was glad that he had kept his eyes trained on her when he had. The look of utter pleasure and relief he saw on her face as he entered her was something he would keep imprinted on his brain forever. He had never seen her more beautiful than she had been in that moment. 

He bent down and kissed her again deeply as his body slowly started to move against her, careful to give her time to adjust to his size. 

As they continued, Marcus concentrated on making her feel pleasure, watching as her body responded to each movement to see what her reaction would be. She was so hot and wet and tight that it was taking every ounce of strength he had to hold back until she achieved her release. 

“God..Abby…” He breathed into her neck, his breath hot on her skin. She had never heard his voice like that - lust-filled, hoarse, rough and as she felt him thrust again, deeply, she knew her body was gearing up for a powerful release. 

She lifted one of her legs higher around his waist, allowing him to deepen his thrusts. Moving to take advantage of the new position, he buried himself deep within her. He wanted to move slowly to draw out her pleasure, but seeing the desire etched on her face, he knew that neither of them were going to last long. 

“Marcus… faster..” she softly encouraged as he felt her muscles tighten as she approached her release. 

It only took a few more quick thrusts before her orgasm hit her...hard. She felt her hands gripping him tightly and her voice gasping his name over and over. Through the haze of her own release, she heard him groan out her name, and felt him bury himself deep inside her, his own release rocking him to the core. 

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms as they both came down from their highs. Abby’s arms pulled him to her, his body naturally molding itself to hers. They kissed softly, and Marcus 

gently brushed some hair from her sweat-slicked forehead.

She kissed him again, framing his face with her hands. "I can’t believe we waited this long to do this."

“Worth the wait” he murmured as he smiled and leaned in to kiss her again before moving to her side and pulling her body into his. 

“God, Abby that… that was.. Fuck..” He ran his hand over his face, unable to form sentences yet. She grinned, feeling the same. 

“You’re amazing.. You know that right?” Abby whispered as she pulled his arms tighter around his body. He chuckled lightly, “Um, I think I’m supposed to be the one saying that right now.” He grinned down at her as he wiggled his eyebrows. 

“I’m sorry I fell asleep.” she said, her words almost getting lost in a yawn. “I guess I needed sleep more than I realized.” 

“Don’t apologize Abby. Clarke needed you.” he chucked into the back of her head, “And besides, not that you needed to, but I think you pretty much just made up for it.” 

“That was pretty amazing wasn’t it?” She grinned, enjoying how her body molded perfectly to his. 

“Next time, I’m taking my time with you.” He purred as he pulled her body tighter into his. 

“Oh yeah… have you thought about this before Mr. Kane?” she teased. 

“Twenty years is a long time Abby.” He confessed, making her turn her head to look into his eyes. “I have a few ideas of what I’d like to do to you.” He kissed her before she smiled and dropped her head back onto his arm. “But for now, we need to sleep.” 

She snuggled into him. “This just feels right, Marcus.” 

He smiled at her words. “It does. Thank you.” 

“For what?” she said softly.

“For never leaving me, for always loving me.”

“I love you too Marcus.” She said sleepily as she closed her eyes feeling more relaxed than she had felt in years.

  
  



	12. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby have a bit of a rough week as he prepares to travel to LA.

Marcus’s lungs were burning, his legs aching, sweat dripping down his back as his feet pounded against the ground. No matter how fast he ran, his mind continued to race faster than his feet. Normally, running was a great stress reliever for him, but this time, it was doing little to ease the anxiety he was feeling about the next few days of his life. 

He had woken up at 4am, unable to get the upcoming Wallace presentation off his mind. They were leaving for Los Angeles Sunday evening and to say he was a wreck was an understatement. The meeting was at 1:00 pm on Monday. 

One hour.. one last presentation was all that now stood between him and the future of his company. Up until that point, the team had only really dealt with Russell Lightbourne, the senior operations VP of Wallace Pharmaceuticals and his staff.

Monday, however, the owner of the company, Dante Wallace, would be there to give his final stamp of approval. The meeting was a bit of a formality, but one wrong step could end it all. Dante was known to be ruthless and unforgiving. If he didn’t like you, that was it. You were done. Though every member of the team had been involved in the presentation preparation, Marcus was the one that would be the face of AST. The success of the meeting was squarely on his shoulders and he was determined not to falter under the weight of it all.

This had been the culmination of a year’s work and at this point, he just wanted to seal the deal and move forward.The waiting had always been the hardest part for him.

As he pushed himself to maintain his pace up the last hill that stood between him and his house, his vision started to go blurry and black around the edges. He was pushing his body too hard, but he refused to give in. He was trying to force his body.. his mind into obedience. 

_I’m in control._

He willed his legs to move faster, knowing that he could handle anything as long as he just kept putting one foot in front of the other. Ignoring the burning of his thighs and the numbness of his feet, he focused on the wakening sky and the music blaring through his ear buds. 

The sun had just started to crest the horizon and sunlight tinted the sky various shades of violet and gray. The streets of his neighborhood were quiet and barren taunting him as he desperately tried to achieve that same stillness in his mind. 

He kept pushing.. Faster and faster, the cool crisp morning breeze bringing some relief to his burning hot skin. 

Every step was an attempt to force the thoughts from his head and as hard as he tried, his mind was still winning. He could see his house appearing over the crest of the hill, and he willed himself to move harder, faster, trying his best to focus on anything but the presentation. 

_You’re in control.._

_You’re in control.._

He repeated the words like a mantra to trick his mind into submission. When he arrived at the edge of his driveway, his legs started to give out and his hands reached out to steady his body on the solid brick of his mailbox. Marcus had always hated running, but he was addicted to the adrenaline rush he felt afterwards. He loved to push his body to the brink just to prove that he could. 

As his breathing started to slow and the spots around his perfiery ceased, Marcus slowly started to walk up the crest of his driveway towards the house. His legs hurt and felt unsteady, but his mind somehow felt a little better. 

Walking into the house, he kicked his shoes off in the mudroom and placed them in their designated spot. Pulling a bottle of water from the refrigerator, he took a deep swig of the ice-cold water and closed his eyes enjoying the feel of it sliding down his dry throat. As he leaned against the counter to finish the water, he tried to decide the best way to spend the day. He knew that he needed to find something to do, something to focus on or he would be miserable all weekend. 

He tossed the bottle in the recycle bin and grabbed another as he walked out onto his back porch. The only good thing about being up this early was the stillness. Besides the gentle rustling of the trees across the lake and the ever present lap of the water on the shore, there was no other movement, no other sound. He walked out into the yard and to the edge of the lake watching as the sun continued to rise, filling the sky with shades of orange, peach and pink. The beauty of this spot never ceased to amaze him. This is why he moved out of the city. The reason this house had been such a find. It was moments like this that calmed his soul. 

As he took in a deep breath of clean air, he realized it would be the perfect day to go out on his boat. He had barely used it all season and the weather was supposed to be perfect. With the start of this project looming, as well as the beginning of Kindergarten approaching for Clarke, he knew the number of weekends they had left to enjoy the lake before the Fall weather arrived was rapidly decreasing. Not to mention the weekends that would be lost when Clarke started spending some weekends with her father. The meeting to discuss custody of the little girl between Jake and Abby was still a week away but Marcus could already see Abby’s apprehension growing. She knew that she wouldn’t keep Clarke from Jake, but the thought of not being with her for days at a time, made her unbelievably sad. That however was a problem for another day. For now, he just needed to focus on today, tomorrow and Monday. Everything else could be dealt with later. With a small frown, he let go of the day that could have been. A day out on the lake with Abby and Clarke would have been the perfect way to distract his busy mind but unfortunately, the universe had other plans for them. 

It had been a week since the hospital fundraiser and his night with Abby. Despite not feeling well, Clarke had slept through the night and well into the morning that next day, allowing Marcus and Abby to spend more time enjoying the shift in their relationship. 

They had made love two more times that morning before Clarke finally woke and put an abrupt end to their activities. With a long passionate kiss, Abby had slipped out of his arms, leaving him with a wide grin on his face and feeling more relaxed and happy than he had ever remembered being in his life. He watched her as she quickly dressed and left the room to check on Clarke, still not quite believing the changes of the last 24 hours. 

Hearing Clarke’s continued sobs drifting down the hallway, he jumped out of bed and quickly found his boxers and t-shirt that had been discarded in the early morning hours. He walked the short distance to Clarke’s room and one look at Abby’s concerned face told him everything he needed to know. This was not just a simple, little virus.

As the day went on, Clarke’s condition rapidly deteriorated and by early evening, Abby had insisted on taking her into the hospital to run some tests. After diagnosing her with type B flu, a sinus infection and the beginnings of bacterial pneumonia, Abby had administered a healthy dose of antibiotics and started the girl on Tamiflu. She had also written a preventative script for both she and Marcus, though she was convinced she would be fine and he would be the next to fall ill. Abby had always been diligent about receiving her yearly flu shot, but Marcus, due to his irrational fear of needles, had always done everything in his power to avoid it. His defiance had always annoyed Abby to no end and as they left the hospital with Clarke, she teased him that this would be the year his luck would probably run out. 

However, In a cruel twist of fate, it had been Abby, not Marcus that had contracted the illness. In retrospect, Abby had realized that spending part of the night snuggled up next to her very sick daughter had probably not been the best idea. Normally, it wouldn’t have been such an issue, but she had neglected to remember that her current condition, even as early as it was, made her not only more susceptible to the flu, but made it likely she would suffer a more severe case of it.

Marcus didn’t know how he had managed to avoid getting sick, especially given his continued close contact with Abby throughout the week, but he wasn’t complaining. In fact, he felt guilty. She had already been through so much that he wished it had been him to get sick and not her. 

Secretly, he was looking forward to teasing Abby about the ineffectiveness of the flu shot once she was better, but for now, he wisely kept his mouth shut and did his best to make both Clarke and Abby comfortable. 

Once Abby had started showing symptoms, she had tried to isolate herself in her room so Marcus wouldn't get sick, especially with his presentation looming the next week, but he was having none of it. He had always been protective of her, but seeing her so sick, so weak, made him want to keep her close. They both knew that he was playing with fire, but he didn’t care. Each night he would wrap his arms around her and pull her close to his body as they slept. It seemed to comfort her, so he continued night after night, praying the Tamiflu would do its job. 

Luckily for all of them, Clarke had bounced back after a few days but poor Abby was on day five and still extremely sick. The longer her symptoms went on the more concerned Marcus had become. Abby had insisted that she was ok, but it was clear to him that she wasn’t. She was barely able to get out of bed and it had been days since she had eaten more than a few crackers. He was trying his best to keep her hydrated but she still looked pale, her normally sparkling eyes, now sunken and dull. 

He knew some of the anxiety he felt about the LA trip had to do with her. He didn’t want to leave her while she was so sick, but there was no way he could bail on the trip. As much as he loved his partners, presentations were really in his specialty and he knew that there was no choice but to go even though the thought of leaving Abby was making him sick to his stomach. 

After consuming the last of the water in his bottle, he looked at his watch and noting the time, decided to run upstairs for a quick shower. He knew that Clarke would likely be up soon and had promised to make her Nutella stuffed pancakes the night before.

Twenty minutes later, he was clean and feeling better about the day ahead. While in the shower, he had decided he would spend the day with Clarke close to the house so they could keep an eye on Abby. It wasn’t the day he had imagined, but he did love spending time with his goddaughter. They would swim in the pool and maybe he would teach her how to juggle the little purple soccer ball he had given her for her birthday. He hated that Abby wouldn’t be with them, but Clarke would be enough to distract his mind for the day. 

With a small smirk, he decided that once Abby was back to herself, he would arrange for the two of them to spend a day out on the boat. Just the two of them. He would make sure Clarke had an opportunity to go at some point too, but at the moment, he wanted a day with just Abby. As he towel dried his hair, his mind went to the image of Abby sunbathing on the bow of the boat in one of her little bikinis and his body immediately reacted. Knowing that this was not the time to tourture himself, he filed away the idea, but couldn’t stop his mind from mapping out the more secluded spots on the lake for future use. Maybe Clarke spending every other weekend with her father wouldn’t be the worst thing after all...

When he walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, he stopped and silently watched Abby for a few moments, thankful to see an almost peaceful expression on her face. Thinking back to the previous night, he wasn’t aware of her waking up or getting out of bed, and he hoped that meant she had actually slept through the night. God knows, she needed the rest. Because of her constant nausea, It had been days since she had slept more than an hour or two at a time. As quietly as he could, he tip-toed out of the room, closing the door behind him as he went back downstairs to start breakfast. 

As he stood, waiting on the Keurig machine to warm up, he contemplated if it was time to call Callie. He had tried to convince Abby to call her mid week when it was clear she wasn’t getting better but she had flatly dismissed the idea, reminding Marcus that she did have a medical degree and that when it was time to call in reinforcements she would let him know. He didn’t want to argue with her at the time, but now he felt justified in overruling her. It had been two more days and with the exception of sleeping, she was showing no real sign of improvement. She was still suffering from awful headaches and her nausea was relentless. He needed to have her checked out before he left town or there was no way he would be able to focus on Wallace. Abby would be pissed, but it had to be done. Before he could talk himself back out of it, he grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to Callie. 

Not even thirty seconds later, Callie’s face appeared on his phone and he cringed, knowing that he was about to get an ear full for not calling her sooner. Thankfully, her concern for her friend outweighed her frustration for being kept in the dark about the severeness of Abby’s current condition. She assured Marcus that she would be there to give Abby a thorough exam by 10 am. Satisfied that he had done the right thing by calling, he returned to the task of making pancakes for Clarke. 

He had just finished the last pancake, when he heard the sound of small feet coming down the stairs.

“Good morning” came a small voice from behind him. He turned to see a very sleepy Clarke walking into the kitchen. Her eyes were open just enough for her to see where she was going. She had her blue puppy tucked protectively in one arm and her pink star blanket in the other. 

“Where’s Mommy?” The young girl said as she rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.

“She’s still not feeling well sweetie. It may just be me and you today.”

She walked up to Marcus and wrapped her arms around his leg. “What are we going to do?” she said as she smiled sweetly up at him. 

“Well, I think we need to stick close to the house in case your mom needs us, but I thought today might be a good day to play in the pool.” She grinned up at him. “Can we play sharks and minnows?” 

“Sure” 

“What else are we going to do?”

“I can teach you how to juggle that soccer ball.” A big smile grew on her face at the idea. She knew how much Marcus loved soccer and the thought of getting to learn more about the sport he loved made her happy. She nodded and then as an aroma caught her attention, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 

“I smell bacon!” She said slowly as she opened her eyes and stared up at him hopefully.

“That’s for me. I made you broccoli!” He said sticking his tongue out at her. 

“What?” She cried as her eyes went wide.

“Yes, broccoli and some brussel sprouts for you. All the bacon for me!” 

Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes at him. “Marcus!!! I’m a growing child! I need protein!”

He laughed loudly at her as he rustled the hair on the top of her head. “God, you're a mini version of your mom.” He returned his attention to the stove, but she stood rooted in place.

“So you did make me bacon?” She questioned, still not convinced he was kidding.

“Yes, I made you bacon. Relax.” 

“And Nutella pancakes?” She said, licking her lips as she saw the large platter on the counter.

“I may have made you one or two?” 

She tossed her puppy up in the air and did a quick little dance in celebration. “We get pancakes Blue!” she said with excitement to her puppy dog. “And BACON!” She again wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him with her deep blue eyes. 

After seeing Clarke so sick the weekend before, he smiled widely down at her, so thankful to have her happy and healthy again. 

“Go sit down, I’ll make you a plate.”

“Extra bacon, please and don’t forget a plate for Blue Puppy,” she said as she whipped around and walked towards the table, winking at Marcus over her shoulder as she walked away. 

Marcus smiled as he returned his attention to the meal he was preparing. It amused him to no end how similar Clarke was to Abby, even at 5 years old. He had always seen glimpses of a young Abby in her, but having Clarke around all the time really allowed him to see how much of Abby’s personality was apparently genetic. Clarke was of course her own person. She had her own likes and dislikes, her own little quirks, but at the core, she was kind, smart, and already a force of nature, just like her mother. 

It had only been a little over a month since Clarke and Abby had come to live with him, but he already couldn’t imagine life without them. They were becoming a little family and Marcus never wanted to go back to life as it has been before. With every day that passed, Abby and Clarke were effortlessly filling a void in his life that he hadn’t even realized had been there. 

A small smile grew on his face as he imagined what life would be like a year from now with a new baby in the house. He knew he was getting ahead of himself, but he couldn’t help it. He was already too excited. He and Abby hadn’t had a lot of discussions about the pregnancy, but he knew that she was hoping for a little boy this time around. She had always wanted one of each.. So had Jake.. 

It was cruel that after years of trying, it was when things ended between them that they had finally been able to conceive another baby. He knew that things would be awkward and complicated as they all navigated this, but despite the situation, he couldn’t hide his excitement at the thought of a new little baby. He would never push it, but he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering if maybe one day, he could talk her into trying for a third.. 

Abby had been a little hesitant to give him all the details, but he had pieced together the various struggles she had been through over the last few years trying to conceive another child. With Clarke everything had been so easy, so effortless, that she and Jake had never imagined they would struggle to bring another child into the world the way they had. With apprehension, she had shared with Marcus the details of her miscarriage - how she and Jake had been so completely unprepared, so caught off guard that it nearly destroyed both of them. She had also shared that though Jake never directly said it, she always felt like he had blamed her for losing the baby and then her job for her inability to conceive again afterwards. 

As the months had passed with no luck, Callie had recommended they both be tested to see if there was a medical reason for their inability to conceive another child. Abby had been all for it, but Jake had flat refused. It had been then that she really understood that he was convinced she was the problem or was unable to accept that maybe the problem was him. 

The more she explained about the last few years with Jake, the more Marcus understood why she felt the need to guard her heart about this pregnancy. She never wanted to go through that kind of heart break again and somewhere deep down in the back of her mind, Jake had planted the seed that maybe she just wasn’t capable of having another successful pregnancy. There was no logical reason for her to think that, but the thought was there nonetheless. Jake had really done a mind trip on her and it both broke Marcus’s heart and made him angry. 

Twelve weeks was her marker. If she could make it to twelve weeks, then she would start to believe it was real. Until that time, she was determined to stay in clinical mode and try her best not to get attached to the small life growing inside of her. Deep down he knew she was already attached, even if she was pretending she wasn’t. He admittedly was too. He could already see the next year of their life mapped out in front of them. He could see it so clearly that there was no room in his mind for what ifs. He had enough belief, enough hope for the both of them. It would just be a few more weeks and she could hopefully relax. Until that time, he would reassure her as best he could and do his best to keep the hope alive. 

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he took another quick sip of his coffee and put the final touches on the breakfast he was making. A few minutes later Marcus set down a large platter of bacon, eggs, and pancakes in front of Clarke, eliciting one of the largest smiles he had ever seen from the little girl. 

“Try and leave me a few pieces of bacon, will you?” He said cooly, smiling down at the young girl as she immediately reached for the salty treat.

“I make no promises.” she said with an unapologetic smirk.

Marcus sat down across from Clarke and placed a few pancakes on his plate. 

She was such a character. He chuckled softly to himself as he watched her. Her eyes were closed and she hummed softly to herself as she thoroughly enjoyed her first bite of bacon. 

“Is it good?” 

“I love bacon!” She said with a simple shake of her head.

“I can see that!”

“Daddy makes it for me when Mommy works. It's always been our little secret.” Marcus did his best to hide the disappointment that flashed across his face. _Jake’s full of little secrets, isn't he .._

“Mommy says it’s bad for me, but Daddy said that it was fine.”

“Well she’s pretty smart. You should probably listen to her. 

“Daddy always just said that we wouldn’t tell her.”

“Wouldn't tell me what?” 

Clarke froze and her eyes went wide at the familiar voice behind her. 

“Nothing!” she said quickly as she shoved her last piece of bacon in her mouth.

Abby walked over behind Clarke and kissed her daughter on the head. “Good morning sweetheart. Don’t eat too much bacon please.”

“Hey. It’s good to see you up. How are you feeling?” Marcus said standing and motioning her to sit. She still looked pale to him, but he was encouraged to see her out of bed and on her feet. 

“A little better.” She was trying to sound strong, but he knew quite well that her body was far from being recovered. “My headache is gone but I’m still exhausted.” 

“We’ll let’s see what we can do about keeping the headache away. What can I get you to drink? Water, juice, coffee?”

She sighed. 

“I really want some coffee, but I’m not sure I can keep it down. Water is probably the best idea.”

He returned to the table a moment later and set a large cup of cold water down in front of her as well as a yogurt, some blueberries, and some plain toast. “You finished your medicine already, right?”

She nodded. “Yesterday morning actually.” He looked at her, scrunching his face in confusion.

“Abby, you’re the doctor but it just doesn’t seem like that Tamaflu did anything for you.”

He sat back down in his seat and started to cut his pancakes, gently swatting Clarke’s hand away as she tried to steal a piece of bacon from his plate. 

She nodded in agreement, taking a small bite of her toast. “It doesn’t work for everyone or if you don’t take it fast enough. I’ll be alright. Apparently, it's just going to linger a bit.” Feeling brave, she opened the yogurt and tentatively put a small amount on the spoon. Marcus watched her nervously as he watched her put the food in her mouth and immediately frowned as he watched her face drop and her eyes snap shut.

“Abby?” 

He could see her fighting back what he could only assume was another wave of nausea. Just as he thought she had it under control, she jumped up from the table and covered her mouth with her hand and she darted down the hall to the bathroom. 

Clarke looked at Marcus nervously. “Mommy’s still sick?”

“Yes, I think so. You stay here and let me go check on her ok?” 

“Bacon?” she said looking up at him wiggling her eyebrows. 

“Two more pieces...no more than that little miss!”

He walked down the hallway and could hear Abby dry heaving. He pushed the door gently open and walked over to her, pulling her hair back as she rode out the nausea that had overtaken her. When her stomach finally settled, she slid to the floor and stretched her long legs out in front of her, letting her head fall back against the wall. Her arms were across her chest and her eyes clamped shut. She was still feeling nauseous and was trying to take slow deep breaths to control her stomach. He frowned down at her and after a few moments, took the hand towel beside the sink and saturated it with cold water. He wrung it out and handed it to her as he took a spot on the floor beside her. “What can I do?” She gave him a small smile that came across more as a grimace as she wiped the sweat from her face. Her eyes snapped shut again and her stomach lurched for attention. He could see the unshed tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. 

“I don’t like this Abby.”

“It’s ok. I think I just need to go back to bed.” Marcus frowned at her stubbornness. 

“I _think_ it's best to get you to a doctor. ”

“I am a doctor, Marcus.” she breathed out, not bothering to hide her annoyance at his statement.

He swallowed the comment that was on the tip of his tongue, knowing better than to push her when she felt this awful, “I know and I trust your judgement, I really do, but you aren’t getting any better Abby. I don’t want to leave town with you this sick.”

“I just want to sleep. If I still can’t keep anything down this afternoon, I'll call Callie, ok?”

His lips twisted in defeat. “Ok, let’s get you back upstairs.” He stood quickly and offered his hand to her. She took a moment to steady herself before she started to walk out of the bathroom. Two steps down the hall she looked so unsteady that he scooped her up in his arms before she could protest. 

She didn’t resist, a true testament to how awful she truly felt. 

He carried her upstairs and back into his room, setting her gently down on the bed and covering her with a blanket. 

“I'm sorry Marcus.” she said softly, her voice breaking with emotion.

“You have no reason to be sorry Abby. But I did go ahead and text Callie. She’ll be over in a few hours to check on you. You can yell at me about it when you’re better but I’m not leaving town with you like this.” He smoothed a stray piece of hair off her face. 

“It’s probably just morning sickness combined with the last of the flu.”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Then Callie can tell me that.” He offered her a small smile.

“How are you not sick?” she said drowsily to him and he bit back a smile. “Next year, not one word about the flu shot.” 

She rolled her eyes and started to shake her head at him, but immediately stopped and scrunched her eyes shut as her head began to throb at the movement.

“Is the nausea gone?”

“Yeah, but I'm scared to move. My head hurts.”

He brushed a few stray strands of hair off her face. “Do you want anything? Water?”

“No” She said sadly as put her hand over Marcus’s as he gently stroked her face with his thumb. 

“Thank you for taking care of Clarke for me. I hope she’s been ok.”

He smiled. “I’ve loved getting to spend this extra time with her. She’s such a great kid Abby. Oh, did I tell you she wants to play soccer in the Spring.” He said sheepishly as he tried to control his wide grin.

“Look at how that worked out for you..” Abby said, not missing a beat. 

“I told you when she was born that she was going to be my little soccer star. You didn’t think I was kidding did you.” 

She shook her head and again grimaced at the motion.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave.” She said sadly.

“I don’t want to, believe me, but I can’t come up with a scenario where I can get out of this.”

“I know and I’d never let you skip it. The timing is just awful.”

He gave her a sad nod in agreement.

“I’ll only be gone a few days.” He said more to himself than to Abby.

He looked down at her, concern still etched on his face. 

“I’m not going anywhere Marcus.” 

“I know.” she said sleepily as she closed her eyes.

He leaned down and placed another quick kiss to her head, before realizing that she had already fallen back asleep.

A little while later, Callie had arrived and done a full check up on Abby. Much to Marcus’s relief, Callie had agreed with Abby’s assessment. Though it was slow going, her body was starting to recover from the flu, but it was obvious that she had moved into the morning sickness phase of her pregnancy. Callie was a skilled obstetrician and upon hearing Marcus’s description of Abby’s current state, she had already suspected the real cause of her continued illness. 

After checked her vitals she gave her an anti nausea medication and hooked her up to an IV to help rehydrate her. It only took about a half hour for Abby to respond to the treatments and at Callie’s encouragement, she was able to drink some water and eat a few more crackers with no nausea. Satisfied that she had been correct and Abby had just really let herself get extremely dehydrated, Callie lightly scolded her friend for not taking better care of herself. With a promise that Abby would actually call if she wasn’t feeling much better by the morning, Callie kissed her friend on the cheek and went in search of Marcus. 

When Callie had arrived, Marcus had started out in the room watching as Callie examined Abby, but upon seeing the IV needle, he had immediately excused himself. Abby knew his dirty little secret, but Callie couldn’t believe the stoic, ever in control, Marcus Kane could be so unnerved by a little piece of metal. 

Upon returning downstairs, Callie had found Marcus sitting with Clarke on the couch watching Paw Patrol. The two moved into the kitchen and sat at the table together with a cup of coffee as Callie explained to Marcus that the nausea was really just morning sickness at this point. The dehydration and lack of sleep were just exasperating the condition. She went on to assure him that as annoying as it was, morning sickness was a great sign that all was well with a pregnancy but it was going to be very important to make sure Abby took care of herself. They both knew Abby well and though she was a skilled doctor, she was the absolute worst at taking care of herself.

Callie gave him some quick tips on how to best help Abby, explaining that it was very important for her to eat small consistent snacks throughout the day and drink plenty of water. She also gave him a bottle of the anti nausea medication that she has brought with her from the office and instructed Marcus to make sure she took it daily, whether she felt sick or not. Knowing that he would be gone for a few days, she promised to check on Abby, but felt confident that now that she was rehydrated and had some meds, her condition would rapidly improve over the next 24 hours. 

Much to Marcus’s relief and surprise, she had been right. The medicine had almost immediately provided Abby with relief from the symptoms that had been torturing her all week. By early evening, she wasn’t 100 percent better, but she was well on her way. After spending the better part of the week completely miserable, she admitted to Marcus how frustrated she was with herself and how much she was kicking herself for not recognizing what was happening to her own body sooner.

He reassured her as best he could and after a quick text exchange with Callie, ran out to the store to buy some supplies to help get her back on her feet. 

That evening at dinner, he had watched her intently as she ate the greek yogurt and watermelon Callie had suggested. After being satisfied that she wasn’t going to be sick, he made her a large mug of herbal tea and the trio watched Frozen with Clarke.. Again. 

After putting Clarke to bed, they went outside to the porch swing and watched the sunset snuggled up next to each other. At Abby’s insistence, Marcus unloaded all of the fears and doubts he had about the meeting and she helped him to process and dismiss them all. By the time they went to bed, he was more relaxed than he had been all day and though he wanted to kiss every square inch of her body, he resisted, knowing that she needed to rest. He did however share his idea about a day alone with her on the boat and after enthusiastically agreeing, they continued to talk about everything that had happened over the last few days until sleep finally took them both. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the fluffy chapter, but I felt it was needed to get us where we needed to go :) 
> 
> Up next Marcus finally meets Dante Wallace and realizes there is way more to this contract that he was prepared for. After being sick for a week, Abby finally gets back to the hospital, but ins't happy to see what has been done with her patients in her absence. On top of a frustrating return to work, she and Jake meet to discuss the custody of Clarke and their new child.


	13. Things Aren't Always What They Seem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby returns to the hospital to find that things didn't go well while she was out sick. Marcus, Indra, and Pike finally meet with Wallace.

“Dr. Griffin!! Thank God you’re back!” Abby smiled at the familiar voice and turned to see her favorite floor nurse quickly walking down the corridor in her direction.

“Good morning, Alex!”

“Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to see you!” she said brightly as she pulled Abby into her embrace.

“It’s good to be seen!” Abby grinned as Alex released her from her arms.

”You know you can never leave again right?”

“It can’t have been that bad.”

Alex’s face twisted at the comment.

“I swear it’s pure chaos when you aren’t here. Just do me a favor. The next time you need to be out, give me a heads up so I can be gone too.”

A half smile grew on Abby’s face. “I’ll see what I can do.I was just heading to my office before rounds. Anything I need to know?”

“We had five new admissions on Friday, three from cardio and two from oncology. I already put the files on your desk when I heard you were coming in today. ” Abby nodded as she listened intently as Alex gave her a quick rundown of each patient.

“Oh..” She frowned knowing she was about to deliver some unwanted news. “Reese had a really rough week. Have you seen her yet?”

Abby shook her head and frowned at the mention of her favorite little patient. Reese was a 10 year old who had spent more of her short life in the hospital than out of it. She had been born with a rare heart defect where only half of her heart had formed correctly. It made her incredibly susceptible to illnesses and unfortunately even the simplest cold would land her back in the pediatric ICU and under Abby’s care.

Abby didn’t know the entire story, but knew that Reese’s mother had left when she was very young, leaving her father to care for Reese and her older brother and sister. They lived an hour and a half away from the hospital which meant that they could only visit on the weekends when she was hospitalized. Her father did the best he could to be there for her, but between working full time and caring for the children all by himself, he was stretched very thin. The child life specialists of Arkadia Childrens were amazing and had done the best they could to make sure Reese never felt alone but at the end of the day there was no substitute for her family. Abby had always been sensitive to this, especially once Clarke came into the picture. She couldn’t imagine how hard it was for Reese’s father to have to walk away from her each Sunday, not knowing if it would be the last time he would see her. She hated thinking about the little girl in a hospital room alone, so she would find time to go and sit with her as often as she could through out the day.

Despite her lot in life, Reese was always happy. She was a sweet child who was intelligent and incredibly funny. Everyone on the staff had fallen in love with her over the years, but no one in that hospital adored her as much as Abby. The feeling was mutual. Reese loved her “Dr. Abby” and had decided when she grew up that she was going to be a cardio thoracic specialist, just like Abby.

The two truly had a strong bond and Abby was determined to give her the highest quality of life possible in her situation. She was always looking for new treatments and protocols that could help get her out of the hospital and home to her family. Most children in her condition were lucky to reach 25, but Abby was determined to do everything in her power to help her beat those odds.

Alex’s beeper went off interrupting her conversation with Abby. “Sorry, they are ready for one of Dr. Dubose’s patients down in surgery. I’ll send Dr. Jackson to find you. Reese is down in respiratory therapy for another 20. Her chart is already on your desk.” With a quick nod of the head, she disappeared down the corridor.

Knowing that she had a few minutes before she could go see Reese, she decided to go ahead and familiarize herself with the problems the girl had endured in her absence.

When Abby opened the door to her office, a warm smile grew on her face as she saw the gift that was waiting in the middle of her desk. There was no note,but seeing the navy blue cup next to a the perfectly folded purple takeout, she knew exactly who had left it for her. The rich aroma had already filled the room and one sniff told her it was her favorite - a venti mocha latte. It was from a small crepe food truck that often parked by the park across from the hospital. She and Eric had discovered it a few years back and it had become their favorite. Moving behind her desk, she stared at the cup trying her best to not give in to temptation. Thanks to the flu, she hadn’t had a cup of coffee in over a week and had convinced herself that morning it was as good of time as any to go ahead and give it up for the remainder of her pregnancy.

Now that she was into her work day, however, her resolve was already starting to slip. She was still trying to get her energy back from being sick and looking at the stack of files waiting on her desk, she knew she wasn’t going to survive the day without a little help.

Before she could stop herself, the cup was in her hand and at her lips. As she enjoyed the first chocolatey sip creeping over her taste buds and down her throat, her eyes slipped closed and a soft satisfied moan left her lips.

“I can come back if you two need a moment.” Eric Jackson teased as he leaded against the door frame.

“First cup in over a week.” She smiled. “You have no idea how much I needed this.”

“Well, I figured you were going to need it after being gone for a week.”

“I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

“How are you feeling by the way? I can’t believe how hard the flu hit you.”

She nodded in agreement as she took another sip. She hadn’t yet told Eric about her little surprise and knowing how protective he had been over her last time she was in this condition, decided to keep that little bit of information to herself for a little while longer. She knew if Eric had any idea she was pregnant, the caffeinated liquid gold she was holding would be roughly taken from her hands and replaced with some awful decaf abomination. She was enjoying her coffee too much at this point to risk losing it now.

“Feeling much better now, but it was awful. I don’t think I’ve ever been so sick in my entire life.” She frowned as she finally put the cup down and looked at her friend.

“Fill me in on Reese.”

“Have you seen her yet?” He questioned as he handed her Reese’s updated files and took a seat in the chair in front of her desk.

Abby placed it down on her desk beside the girl’s chart and slipped her reading glasses on the tip of her nose. The more she read, the deeper she frowned.

“What happened? She was doing so well.”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. She was fine Monday and Tuesday, but when I came in Wednesday she was lethargic and just not herself. Her BP was way down. As was her oxygen saturation.…” he grimaced, his fingers raking through his hair.

“ECG looks unchanged. Did you do an MRI?”

He nodded. “Next page. Her CBC showed elevated white blood cells. I adjusted her IV meds to start attacking the Endocarditis but she also had some fluid in her lungs. By Thursday she started to look a little better, but by Friday, she was down again.”

She nodded as she looked over the results.

“It was weird. She was fine.” He shook his head as a frustrated exhale left his mouth. “She was fine… and then she wasn’t.”

“She’s always been tricky. We need to go ahead and get another MRI schedule and let’s repeat the echo. May want to look at the antibiotic she’s on. Looks like the endocarditis is still present. I’ll go down and check on her when she’s back from respiratory.”

She studied him for a moment, noticing how he shifted nervously in his chair. She had worked with him long enough to know when he was holding back.

“What?” She said, eyeing him suspiciously.

He scrunched his nose, trying to figure out if he even wanted to bring it up. The longer he stayed quiet, the more her eyes narrowed at him.

“It’s nothing.. Well, maybe. I don’t know.”

“Eric, just spit it out.” she said with a little more bit than she had intended.

“Dr. Tsing…”

“What about her?” she said slowly, immediately tensing at the mention of the one person in the entire hospital that she truly despised.

“It’s probably nothing but I saw her up here Tuesday afternoon. Dr. Tristen was out with the flu last week as well, so Jaha pulled Tsing up to cover a few shifts while you were out. She was the on call doctor Tuesday afternoon and then..”

“The next day Reese’s vitals were a mess....” Abby said softly, finishing his sentence. Anger and frustration immediately flashed across her face.

His face twisted as he tipped for her to keep reading in the file.“It was just a feeling but”

She flipped forward a few pages and a disgusted sound left her mouth. “Damn it!” she hissed as her eyes immediately started to scan the medication summary at the back of the file.

“What am I missing? Did something happen that isn’t scripted?” She scanned the file again looking for any indication that a medicine adjustment was justified.

Eric shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of. Alex said one of the nurse’s had mentioned that Tsing had ordered a full panel of labs on her Tuesday afternoon and then started making adjustments that night. Alex had sent me a message when she caught wind of it, knowing how sensitive Reese is to changes, but when I questioned Tsing, she said Jaha had signed off so there wasn’t really anything I could do.”

“You should have called me!” She said a little harsher than she had meant. Eric flinched at her tone and Abby immediately softened. “I’m sorry.” She said, offering him an apologetic smile.

“Sorry.. I just.. We had just finally gotten her on a good regiment. Why in the hell would he approve changes without reaching out to me or running it by you? I’m her attending. Sick or not, there was no reason for someone unfamiliar with her care to adjust her without talking to me. ” She was visibly frustrated. She dropped the file and started flipping through the updated lab report Jackson had just handed her.

She chewed her lip as her eyes looked over the various acronyms and numbers. “It took weeks to get her on the right combination of meds.” She threw the file across her desk and dropped her head into her hands.

“‘I’m going to kill her.” She hissed. “And then I’m going to kill Jaha. He knows how I feel about people messing with my patients.. Especially Tsing.” She grabbed the next file on her desk and started to scan the document.

Eric’s beeper went off and with an apologetic frown he stood. “Sorry to drop a bomb and run, but Moody’s out sick too. Guess the flu is starting early this year. Thomas pulled me to assist with a mitral repair.”

She nodded, too engrossed in the file in front of her to look up. “On your way out, ask Alex to go ahead and start blood draws on every patient that Tsing touched last week. I need full labs and medication summaries on everyone. ” She looked up at him, her jaw set. “I don’t trust her Eric.”

“I know.” He said in agreement. “I’ll have Alex schedule the procedures for Reese and will be back up as soon as I can.” With a slight frown at Abby, he left the office. She picked up the coffee cup and tried to calm the anger that had already built inside her body.

Tsing was one of the lead doctors in the research portion of the hospital, spending most of her time overseeing human clinical trials. She was known for taking unnecessary risks with patients and often walked the line of medical ethics. While Abby definitely was able to see the gray in a situation and had been known to bend a few rules from time to time, she never was one to take liberties with her patient’s health. The two women had never seen eye to eye. Everything had finally come to a head a few years prior, when Tsing had enrolled a few of Abby’s patients in a risky clinical trial without consulting her first.

She had been livid at the time and had reported her to Jaha, threatening to go higher up the chain of command if needed, but he had insisted that he would deal with Tsing. He seemed to have a soft spot for her and much to Abby’s frustration, she had gotten off with little more than a slap on the wrist.

Abby had never understood Jaha’s loyalty to Tsing.As far as Abby was concerned, she was a huge liability to the hospital and a true danger to the patients in her care. She couldn’t understand why he continued to praise her and give her such a wide berth around the hospital. There had to be some kind of connection there, some dirt she had on him that allowed her to continue to break all the rules and still somehow have a thriving career.

After checking in on Reese and doing her rounds, Abby had locked herself in her office, only emerging at the end of the day for her rounds before heading home. After spending five hours going over every detail of the past week for every patient in her care, she had found that all the patients that Tsing had visited on Tuesday afternoon, had elevated white blood cells in their CBCs the next day. Of the 24 patient’s she reviewed, 12 had reported decreased pulse ox stats and 4, including Reese, also had pleural effusions on Wednesday that had not been present Tuesday.

It wasn’t uncommon for patients under her care to experiences these things, but all of them showing similar symptoms at the same time was suspicious at best. The only thing they had in common was Tsing. Thankfully, all of her patients' vitals, with the exception of Reese, were good, but she was anxious to get her hands on the labs she had run today. She was curious to see if she could find any other correlations.

* * *

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Wallace,” Marcus smiled shaking the stoic man's cold hand as he stood to leave the room.

“I look forward to working with AST. I believe in your company Mr. Kane and I trust that if anyone can pull this off, it will be you. Please make sure my trust is not misplaced.”

Marcus did his best to look confident as the older man’s eyes bore into his. Marcus wasn’t intimidated by many people, but Dante Wallace honestly scared the hell out of him. He had done some research on the man as well as Wallace International before their final meeting and he had not been prepared for some of the things he had found in the man’s past. Corruption, racketeering, ethics violations, malpractice and class actions suits. No charges had ever stuck, but there were enough accusations out there to make Marcus suspicious of the man. He hadn’t shared his research with Indra or Sinclair, yet, but he was on high alert. He was very protective of his company and hoped they hadn’t just signed a deal with the devil himself.

Once Dante Wallace and his army of assistants left the room, Marcus sat down on the chair and let out a long controlled breath, pushing his knowledge of the man to the back of his brain. As he leaned back in the chair, his eyes cut to Indra. After a few seconds, he watched as her face twisted into a wide grin.

“Couldn’t have gone any better Kane.” She said with a controlled smile.

“This is unbelievable!” Sinclair said brightly as he leaned back in his chair and locked his fingers behind his head.

The door to the conference room opened and Russel leaned in, his sky blue eyes twinkling

“Well done team! Wallace was very impressed and I can assure you that doesn’t happen often.”

He turned to speak to someone passing in the hall and then looked back at the trio.

“I have another matter to attend to so I won’t make it to lunch. My assistant Maya will be here to escort you to the dining room in a few moments. Please enjoy lunch and I’ll meet up with you at 2pm.After you eat, Maya will show you to a conference room and we’ll start the non disclosure paperwork with the legal team. After that, we’ll start discussing the full scope of the project. I have you scheduled to meet with the Pacific Logistics team tomorrow morning to go over phase one of the upgrade.” He again turned to acknowledge a voice calling out to him down the hall.

“I’ll be right there. Enjoy your lunch and I see you all at 2pm.”

After a opulent lunch, Maya had shown them to a conference room on the 18th floor of the Wallace tower. When they arrived, they found Pike already deep into his review of the contracts. The next three hours were spent discussing contracts and signing non disclosures. Before leaving for the day, Maya had returned with four thick red binders, one for each of them, including Pike. The binder contained the full scope of the project and the shear thickness of the material make Marcus’s blood pressure spike.

After leaving Wallace headquarters, Pike had joined them for a quick drink before catching his return flight to Arkadia. He was satisfied with what he had seen and there was really no reason for him to stay in LA when he could be back preparing the non disclosures for the staff that would be working on the project.

After dropping Pike at the airport, they retired to the Sinclair’s room, ordered pizza and beer, and spent the next few hours digesting the full scope of the project they had just dedicated the next five years of their life to.

When Marcus finally returned to his room, he kicked off his shoes and immediately fell back onto the bed out of shear exhaustion. Marcus had known up front that there were aspects of the project that would not be disclosed to them unless they were awarded the job and had signed the disclosures. Based on the price tag and length of the contract, he had known that it would be complicated, but he had been unprepared for just how complicated it was truly going to be. The project would be broken down into 5 main components, the first being a full overhaul of their research infrastructure in the Pacific. Wallace did almost all of their research and manufacturing in Vietnam and China and the securities they wanted in place to protect their investments in those countries was extensive at best. They would know more tomorrow when they met with the heads of the Pacific division, but Marcus had already seen enough to know that this portion was going to be daunting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to do my best to get at least one more chapter out this weekend. :) Thanks to everyone that has commented and sent messages. They mean more to me than you know. :) Hoping to get some writing done over this long weekend :)


	14. Unplanned Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby teases Marcus and he gets a surprise he was not expecting.

It was almost midnight when the FaceTime request popped upon Abby's MacBook Pro. She had been going over some new treatment research on increasing longevity of children with hypo-plastic left heart syndrome, Reese’s condition, when the notification asked her to accept a video call from Marcus. A smile lit up her face as she clicked accepted and she was immediately greeted by his warm brown eyes staring at her, his expression heavy with exhaustion and worry.

“Hey there," she softly greeted, as she leaded back against the mountain of pillows piled behind her.

"Hey," he breathed in a gentle low voice that had easily become her favorite sound in the entire world.

“I’m sorry it’s so late.” He apologized as his hand ran over his face.

She frowned at him, seeing how tired he was. “Did you finish?”

“No, but I think we have agood handle on what’s going to be expected of us.” He rested his head on his hand as he slumped down into the chair and let out a long breath.

“Now I know why the price tag is so high on this one. This is way more complicated than they told us initially. I mean I get it, there were some things they just couldn’t tell us with out having the non disclosures signed, but the plan we had in place for all the upgrades is going to have to be completely overhauled.”

He sighed, “We can do it but, it’s just going to be more involved than we thought.”

“Like working 60 hours a week involved or needing to hire more staff involved?” she questioned.

He looked down and chewed his bottom lip. He wanted to tell her the realization they had come to earlier in the evening, but really didn’t want to do it over the phone or before they had confirmed that it was really going to be necessary.”

“A little of both..” He responded with a half truth.

“I’ll know more about the details after we meet with the phase one team tomorrow. The biggest portion of the project is updating the security on the data systems for their research facilities in the Pacific.” He paused. “You, of course, know none of this.” He said raising his eyebrows and looking intently at her with his dark eyes. “Abby, you should have seen the stacks of non disclosures we had to sign this afternoon. I thought Pike was going to have a heart attack. He doesn't like to be rushed.”

She laughed as she pictured Charles hunched over a pile of papers, his fingers drumming his bare head as he read.

“Well, I need him Wednesday, so I'm going to need you to make sure he stays upright!” she chucked.

“Oh that's right! I forgot all about the custody meeting.” His lips tightened as he tried to remember the details. "You're meeting Jake at 2?" 

She frowned. “Yeah, I’m not looking forward to it, but we have to get this process started.”

“Have you discussed anything with him yet?”

“No, his attorney sent in his first draft of the custody agreement to Charles. I’m supposed to go over it with him tomorrow afternoon.” She rolled her eyes, “Charles said he laughed when he saw the proposal..” She grimaced as she looked down and picked at one of her cuticles. “He’s not going to make this easy.”

“It will be fine. I promise Abby.” He reassured.

He watched as her face dropped. He knew she was extremely worried about how she and Jake would navigate Clarke in all of this. As much animosity as they were feeling towards each other at the moment, neither of them wanted it to affect Clarke negatively. It wouldn't be easy, but for her sake they could make it work. The hard part would be dealing with the unexpected complication of the divorce. This new little baby added a layer of complexity that she didn’t even want to begin to unpack. How were they going to navigate a newborn in all of this? Noticing her distress, he spoke softly.

“Hey.. look at me Abby.” He tilted his head as her eyes met his.

“What happens to you, happens to the both of us remember?” He assured.

"I'm going to be with you through every step of this."

She nodded as a brief smile danced across her lips at his words.

“I promise. It will be fine.”

She nodded, wanting to believe him, but still not quite convinced.

“I wish you were here. I’ve gotten used to sleeping in your arms.” She murmured as the corner of her lips dipped down.

“I know. I miss you too.”

Abby’s throat tightened at his words. This was the first time they'd really been apart since she and Clarke had moved in almost six weeks earlier. With every day that had passed, their need for each other had grown stronger and stronger, getting to a point where being without each other left an ache in both of their hearts.

"So, how was your day?" he asked, smiling softly at her.

Her frown deepened.

“I grossly underestimated how stressful my first day back would be.”

“That bad?”

“Well I didn’t kill anyone today. So, there’s a positive take away. “ Abby sighed.

“You say that like it was a difficult talk.” He said, his eye brow raised in surprise. “What happened?”

“Do you remember me talking about a little girl at the hospital named Reese?”

“Yes, the little girl with half a heart?”

“Yes,” Abby confirmed.

“Well she was admitted back into the ICU before I got sick. We had finally treated the infection and had her levels almost back to the point where we could discharge but she took a down turn while I was gone. Jackson was keeping an eye on her for me, but long story short, when he left Tuesday she was fine and by the time he checked her on Wednesday morning, she had crashed. He couldn’t figure out what had happened, but it looks like Tsing had been in to see her Tuesday afternoon and screwed with her meds.”  
  
Marcus’s face twisted as he tried to recall the name.

“She’s the psycho that tried to enroll some of my patients into her clinical trial a few years ago.” She reminded as Marcus nodded his head.

“So you think she had something to do with it.”

“I do. So does Jackson. What’s weird is that almost all of the patients she saw that afternoon had some sort of an issue the next day. It could all be in my head, but there were too many similarities too close together for it to be a coincidence. I think she injected her with something. I don’t know what yet, but that’s the only thing that explains it. It was in the charts that she did administered a new immunotherapy to a few of my cancer patients but what’s weird is that she also gave it to a few of my cardio patients too. Jaha signed off on everything, but that’s not procedure in the ICU. Other than minor adjustments, no major protocols are changed without the attending signing off. I’m waiting on labs to come back tomorrow but something doesn’t feel right. I just need to put the pieces together. If I find out she gave Reese something..” She shook her head in frustration.

“Did you report your suspicions?”

She laughed bitterly. “The only person I can report it to is the person that signed off on it.”

“Jaha?”

“Who else..” she said bitterly, as his face twisted.

“Anyway, we’ll see what the labs say tomorrow, but I’m just really worried about Reese. Every time she crashes like this, it takes a huge toll on her body. If we can’t keep her well enough to stay on the transplant list.. I’m just scared that one of these days..” She stopped, not wanting to tempt fate by speaking the words out loud.

Abby's face tighten as she tried to hold by the well of emotions with in her. “I should have been there. None of this would have happened if I had been there.”

“Abby you were sick. It’s not like you took a week vacation to Cabo.”

“I know but..”

“You care about her. I know. I get it... but you can’t blame yourself for her bad week. She’ll be ok Abby. She has an amazing doctor who will get to the bottom of it.” He raised his eyebrows and started intently into her eyes, doing his best to reassure her.

Abby slowly nodded as she weakly smiled up at him, unshed tears in her eyes telling him how truly worried she was for the young girl.

“How’s Clarke?” He said brightly, trying to change the topic.

“She misses you.. And your cooking…” she laughed.

“I made spaghetti for dinner tonight and she turned into a little food critic. Apparently, your sauce tastes better and she likes the fettuccine noodles you use better than the angel hair I selected. ” She grimaced at him.

“And apparently, my garlic bread is chewy.” She raised her hands in frustration as he laughed.

“Well tell little miss that I’ll be home to save her sophisticated palate in less than 36 hours.” 

“She really loves you. You know that right?”

“What can I say, she has good taste.” he teased making Abby smile.

She studied him for a moment.

"You look tired," she murmured. "You should really get some sleep."

“We should probably both get some sleep. I almost didn’t call because I figured you were already passed out, but I didn’t want to go an entire day without hearing your voice.”

He reached up and removed the already loose tie from his neck, opening his shirt a few more buttons. Abby’s bit her lip as she watched him.

“Like what you see..” he chucked seeing her eyes slowly moving up and down his body on her screen.

“I do, but I would like it better if you were here and not 4 hours away.”

“Two more days..” he frowned. She set the laptop down on the bed as she got up and moved across the room to close the door, hoping that Clarke wouldn’t hear the sound of Marcus’s voice and wake up. As he watched her moving back across the room, he let out a quick breath.

“Are you wearing one of my dress shirts?”

She blushed slightly as she moved back to the bed, picking up the computer and returning it to her lap. “Maybe..” She laughed. “Do you mind?” She purred in a low sultry voice.

She reached up and undid her pony tail, shaking out her hair until it fell in cascading waves over her shoulders.

His lips twisted in a devious smile and she shook her head at him. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” He said feigning innocence.

“Like a lion about to pounce.”

“Do you have any idea how fucking hot you look in my shirt?” He whispered, his eyes warm and sincere.

“How am I supposed to NOT look at you like this? I’m only human.” His eyes darkened. “But I do see one problem.”

One of her eyebrows raised, “Oh, what’s that?”

“You need to undo a few of those buttons..”

She blushed as a small smile appeared on her face. “God, you’re such a man..”

He watched, an uneven breath leaving his mouth, as she reached up and slowly undid three buttons, exposing just enough of her breasts to leave him thirsty for more.

“Better?” she questioned, her dark eyes looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

He shifted in the chair as he tried to keep control of his already growing desire for her. It had been over a week since they had been together and he was desperate to pick up where they had left off.

He shook his head. "No... open it up a bit more..." He said in a low commanding voice that made her toes curl.

“Like this?”

His eyes went wide as she pushed the material open a bit more. An involuntary groan leavinghis mouth as her fingers danced over the top of her breasts.

“God, You’re beautiful..” He breathed as he leaned back from the camera a little, relaxing back into the chair. She could see his shoulders were already a little less tense. He licked his lips and she couldn’t help the delightful, tingly sensation that was already starting to build inside her.

She reached down to play with the hem of the shirt, bringing it up, so that her still flat abdomen was now exposed as well.

“Did I happen to mention that Jake is going to take Clarke this weekend?”

His mouth dropped open and then quickly spread into a wide smile as the words processed through his brain.

“So you’re telling me I get you all to myself this weekend…”

Her lips twisted into a wicked grin as she nodded.

“I think that’s the best news I’ve received all day.”

“Any ideas what we should do?” She blinked up at him innocently.

“I may have a few ideas.”

"Good.." She whispered slowly, reaching up to play with the only button still holding her shirt together.

“I have a few myself and I’m pretty sure quite a few of them are going to take place right here.” She said sweetly as she released the last button, letting the two sides of the shirt fall away from each other.

Marcus released an uneven breath as his eyes went wide.

"God Abby.." he groaned as his hips thrusted up involuntarily.

She smirked, enjoying the power she currently had over him. 

"What are you thinking about?" She asked curiously as her hand fell across her neck and a slowly trailed down her chest between the curves of her partially exposed breasts. 

"You," he whispered honestly. "You and all the things I would be doing to you at this moment if I were there."

She hummed as she watched his eyes slowly traveling up and down her exposed skin. 

"I can't stop thinking about you." she whispered. 

“I can’t stop thinking about how much I love the feel of your large hands on my body. How your beard tickles my throat when you whisper in my ear. How amazing it feels to have your body pressing into mine. ” she seductively responded, her fingers slowly moving away the crisp, white fabric. On her screen, she could see the darkness clouding Marcus’s eyes as he watched her intently. "How amazing it felt when you were finally filling me. I don't think I've ever cum so hard in my life as I did that night." 

Without breaking eye contact with Marcus, she lean back into her pillows giving him an unobstructed view of her breasts. Her hand fell between them, gently stroking up and down the soft valley as she watched Marcus’s eyes darken.

“God, I think you just may be the sexiest woman alive.” Marcus practically groaned. It was obvious that he was getting just as turned on as she was. He had never seen this side of her before, and he was eager to see where this was going to go.

Her hand came to rest over her breast, fingers stroking softly over her skin.

"I wish you were here," Abby moaned, her head rolling back against her pillows as her eyes fell shut.

“I can assure you, you're not the only one," Marcus replied, his voice thick with arousal. "I want touch you so bad right now.”

She began stroking her breasts with both hands, kneading the soft flesh just as Marcus had done a week prior. A gentle moan escaped her lips as her thumbs brushed across her nipples.

“I could sit here and watch you do that all night.” He breathed. You were amazing that night. I don't think I'll ever get the image of waking up with my cock in your mouth out of my head." He teased, his hand reaching down to adjust his pants that had grown increasing tight.

With a wicked smile, she reached up and pulled the material of her shirt loosely together. His eyes dropped with disappointment as he watched her fasten one of the buttons back together. 

“That’s not fair..” he whined.

“Think of it as motivation to get your work done quickly so you can get back home to me and take what's yours..” she purred.

“Are you trying to kill me woman?” He again adjusted himself in his seat, his arousal now painfully trapped in pants.

“When I get home, you are in so much trouble,” he roughly growled.

“Totally worth it.” she teased. “I want you eager when you get back."

“Oh, I can assure you that won’t be a problem." 

She could see the affect that she had had on him. “Promise me one thing though..” she whispered seductively.

“What’s that?” He said, his voice strained.

“Don’t.. don't finish..” She said, her eyes motioning down to the bottom of the screen. “The next time you cum, I want it to be with me..in me. I want you to wait until we can do this together.”

A lustful groan left his lips as he processed what she was saying. 

"Abby..." he whined. "That's a lot to ask of a man after what you just did to me." 

“I promise Ill make it worth the wait..” she said again reaching up and squeeing her full breasts through the shirt.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” He grumbled,“but just so we’re clear, when I get back Wednesday, I’m going to need to you be in that shirt waiting on me..” She blushed as he bit his lip.

“I promise.” Feeling bold, she added. “What should I be wearing under it?”

The corner of his lip turned up, “Not a damn thing."

* * *

Marcus awoke bleary eyed the next morning cursing himself for setting his alarm for 6 am. After being up half the night talking with Abby, he didn’t know why he thought he would actually get out of bed to go for a run. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but all he wanted to do was disappear back underneath the plush black comforter. As he often did, he had awoken rock hard. All night, his mind had tormented him with dreams of Abby. As he laid there in the dark, his body was on fire. He tried to breath and not give into temptation. His body was burning for release. His cock was so hard it was almost painful and it took everything in his power to obey Abby's request. With a grunt, he pushed himself up and swung his feet over the side of the bed. He ran his hand over his face and then reached for his phone, noticing he had a missed text from Abby at 5am.

 _Good luck today.. Be a good boy and I promise I'll take good care of you when you get back.._ She had messaged simply with a smiling emoji with it’s tongue sticking out.

 _So. Much. Trouble_ … he responded followed by a devil emoji.His cock jumped as thoughts of the previous night again filled his head. He placed his hands on either side of his body and let out a long jagged breath. After willing his body back into submission, he quickly dressed and left his room in search of the gym. The only way he was going to survive this torture was to distract himself. 

* * *

After meeting after meeting as well as lunch, Sinclair, Indra, and Marcus locked themselves into a small conference room to adjust their initial phase one plan to accommodate the new details they had been given the day before. The meeting with the Pacific leads had been extremely helpful and while the trio had a very good idea how to solve the current issues, they still had one large problem to solve. Just as Marcus had suspected, the computers that Wallace used in their research facilities in China were air gaped, meaning that each system was isolated from the next and none were directly connected to a building wide network.

Each division of the research facility had their own systems and VPN to ensure that no data was leaked. It seemed excessive to Marcus, but then again, given the size and scope of the Wallace empire, he understood the need to protect their intellectual property.

The complication came in how that research data was delivered to Wallace’s US facility in Hawaii. From what Marcus could put together so far, every Sunday, an employee would download copies of each system’s hard drives at each of their 20 facilities onto portable drives. The drives were then flown back to Hawaii where they would be loaded into the air gapped systems in the Honolulu offices. It was a very manual process and very costly, but it was effective. The only problem with that method was that once the drives left the facility, there was no way to ensure the data wasn’t taken from the drives while in transit. AST needed to develop a method where the information could be transmitted from China via a secure network connection to Honolulu. Everyone was insistent that the air gaped systems remained in place, so the complication would be figuring out how to get all of the information where it needed to go while maintaining impenetrable security at each facility.

No matter what scenario they came up with, they kept coming back to the same realization. In order to make this work, they were going to have to have staff on site in both China and Hawaii for at least 4 months but possibly as long as six months.

Air gaped security integration was Marcus’s area of expertise, so he knew there was no other option. He was going to have to be the one onsite to lead the Hawaiian team. His heart clenched in his chest at the thought of having to spend the next few months away from Abby but there was no way around it. Two months ago, this wouldn’t have been an issue for him, but now..

For a moment, he envisioned a scenario where she came with him, but he knew she would never leave her job not to mention how Clarke would fit into that plan. He quickly dismissed the idea as quickly as it had come and decided that trips home every other weekend would have to be enough to sustain them until this was all over.It would just be a few months.. they would figure it out.

With a solid plan in place, Marcus had volunteered to give Russel an update on their project start date and what they would need onsite in Hawaii and China to facilitate their staff. Russell had already anticipated that at least a portion of the project would need to be done on site and had graciously offered the use of the companies 6 condos in Honolulu to any AST staff that would need to relocate.They also had some apartments in China that could be used as it was needed. As Marcus left the office to go find Russell, Indra and Sinclair got on the phone to start figuring out what staff members would be willing to relocate temporarily.It was going to be a big decision for many of their staff members, many of whom had young families at home. Having to travel for work had never been an issue for Marcus, but now that he had his own little family waiting for him at home, he was suddenly very aware of the sacrifice that was going to be asked of his staff.

As Marcus waited outside Russell’s office, he read over the various texts he had received from Abby over the course of the afternoon. They had been casually flirting back and forth most of the afternoon, making it increasing difficult for him to maintain his focus. As he sat alone in the waiting room outside of Russell's office, he sent one last text about a particularly intense dream he had had of her in the white shirt. Biting back a grin, he pressed send and turned his phone back on silent, telling himself that he really didn't need to pick it up again until he was safely out of the building for the day. He took a few deep breaths to keep his body in check and just as the throbbing in his pants eased, Maya exited Russell’s office and smiled that he was ready to see Marcus.

“Ah Marcus, great timing!” Russell grinned as he stood to greet him. “Marcus Kane, I’d like you to meet the liaison you’ll be working with on site in Honolulu.”

Marcus’s attention shifted to the figure sitting in a chair across the room and his heart immediately dropped in his chest. He did his best to hold his warm expression as he recognized the woman standing to greet him.

 _You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.._ he silently cursed.

As the woman moved towards him with an outstretched hand, her familiar green eyes locked with his. 

“Actually Russell, we’ve met.” She smiled sweetly at Marcus, her eyes dancing with amusement.

Russell’s face lifted in surprise as he turned back towards Marcus.

“Oh I didn’t realize. We’ll, that will make this entire thing easier since you two will be working very closely together over the next few months.

 _SHIT! NOT NOW!_ Marcus internally screamed. 

Marcus’s heart was pounding in his chest as he tried somewhat successfully to hide the anger and annoyance on his face. It had been five years since he had seen her. Five years since she had unexpectedly and abruptly ended their relationship with no explanation as to why. Five years since she had disappeared from his world, leaving him broken in so many pieces that he never thought he would feel whole again.

“It's good to see you. It's been a long time.. ” The tall brunette offered a flirty smile as they shook hands.

“Aurora, wasn't expecting to see you here.”


	15. Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus surprised Abby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure, this chapter is not for our younger friends. Complete PWP here. You've been warned. Enjoy.. still very new to writing this type of content..hopefully it's not cringe worthy..

_(11:02 pm) What are you doing?_

_(11:03 pm) Laying in bed.._

_(11:06 pm) Mmmm… Just laying in bed? Nothing else?_

_(11:08 pm) I’m eating cereal_

_(11:09 pm) In bed?_

_(11:10 pm) I am, but don’t tell my boyfriend..he has a thing about eating in bed_

_(11:12 pm) Abby.._

_(11:14 pm) Marcus.._

_(11:17 pm) You’re eating in my bed?_

_(11:18 pm) No… I would never do that. 😉_

_(11:18 pm) God, you’re in trouble when I get back._

_(11:19 pm) You promise?😏_

_(11:20 pm) Yes.. I do..You are eating in my bed!_

_(11:21 pm I can’t sleep and it's ridiculous how much I miss you._

_(11:21 pm) Are you trying to change the subject?_

_(11:22 pm) Is it working?_

_(11:23 pm) Maybe (but you’re still in trouble woman) I miss you too. Actually, to say I miss you is a massive understatement._

_(11:24 pm) Can I call? I want to hear your voice before I go to sleep._

_(11:25 pm) Yeah, give me a minute to get somewhere quiet. By the way, there’s a present for you on the front porch._

_(11:27 pm) ???? There wasn’t anything on the porch when I got home_

_(11:28 pm) I know.. I just had it delivered._

_(11:28 pm) At 11:30 at night?_

_(11:29 pm) Yes_

_(11:30 pm) Who makes deliveries at 11:30 at night??_

_(11:32 pm) Are you on your way down??_

_(11:32 pm) I’m not even dressed._

Abby watched as three dots appeared at the bottom of the text window and then stopped. She was about to type when his face appeared on her screen.

“Quit being difficult and just go check the front porch. I promise you won't be disappointed.” Marcus teased as he heard Abby’s softly groan.

“Guess the delivery guy is about to get an eye full,” she whined.

“I promise, he’s long gone.” There was a moment of silence, before she heard him say in a low smoky voice, “What are you wearing by the way?” She could hear him smiling through the phone, remembering the previous night's conversation.

“Well, if you were here you would know.” she grumbled playfully as he heard the floorboards creek through the phone, telling him she was on her way down the stairs. He really needed to have that addressed one of these days, he mentally reminded.

“I was warm and comfortable. This better be worth it Kane…”

“Yes, I know..Warm and comfortable, eating in my bed,” he mumbled as he ran his hand over his face, already imagining rolling over and feeling a crumb on his leg in the middle of the night. Not that she was a messy eater, but food was just not something that belonged in the bed as far as he was concerned.

“Don’t worry, I think you’ll be happy. At least I hope you will be..” he said warming his tone.

Flipping on the light, she peeked out of the window at the front porch, frowning as she saw nothing but the welcome mat.

“I don’t see anything,” she confessed, looking a little more intently now that she was confident there was no one waiting outside to kill her.

“Are you sure they already delivered it?” 

“Just open the door Abby.” Marcus said with an exasperated sigh. 

“What if there is a murderer waiting to attack me? You aren’t here to protect me.” She teased.

“It’s a gated neighborhood with a security patrol Abby, pretty sure you’re ok to open the door.” He assured, chuckling at her obstinate nature. 

“Fine but if someone is waiting to kill me..”

“Abby, it’s getting cold out here.”

Abby paused as she processed his words, not trusting that she had heard him correctly.

“Open the door” he said again in a soft tone, knowing that she was putting the pieces together.

“Oh my god!” She gasped as she quickly unlocked the door and her eyes immediately found him propped against the side of the entrance, out of sight of the window.

She immediately jumped into his arms, almost knocking him backwards with the impact. 

“What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming home until tomorrow.” Her eyes were wide as she let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

“They really didn’t need me for the meeting in the morning so I talked Indra to let me go ahead and take an earlier flight.”

She reached up and placed a hand on either side of his face, pulling him down so their lips met in a hungry kiss.

“I was only gone two days,” Marcus chuckled between kisses, amused by her eagerness.

"Two days too long," she retorted, as her lips again met his, nipping and gently biting to encourage him to deepen the kiss.

“Agreed” he murmured against them. He pulled her into his body, his lips taking hers with increasing need as he walked them backwards into the house, his foot kicking the door closed behind them.

Her hands ran down his back, stopping briefly at his belt before reaching down and pulling the bottom of his dress shirt from his pants. As her hands slipped underneath to feel the toned muscles of his back, she let out a jagged breath, her need for him suddenly overwhelming. 

“So I take it you missed me.” He said smugly as he smirked down at her. Guiding her back a few more steps so her back was against the table in the foyer.

“Longest two days of my life,” she purred as her hands moved to the front of his body and started to unbutton his shirt.

“Longest nine days of mine,” he corrected, thinking back to the last time they had actually been together like this. He roughly kicked off his shoes, not caring where they landed as his hands found their way under her tank top, raking it up as his hands slid up the soft skin of her back. A moan left her lips as she arched into him and then a gasp escaped her as he lifted her to sit on the table. Instinctively, she spread her legs and he quickly stepped into the space, feeling her warmth through his pants. He was already rock hard for her and as he pulled her body forward into his, he couldn’t stop his hips from grinding into her.

“God, I missed you,” she whispered as he trailed kisses down her neck, setting her more and more on fire with each quick moment of contact. He warmed at the feel of her hot breaths on his neck, immediately realizing that she was just as desperate for him as he was for her. 

“Please tell me she’s asleep.” He pleaded as he suddenly remembered they were not alone in the house.

“For hours now,” she assured as her head tipped back enjoying the feel of him pulsing between her legs. 

“Thank God..” He growled as he grabbed her ass and slid her body towards the front edge of the table, the friction of the motion almost more than he could handle aftering being denied her for so long.

"Upstairs..now!" 

“Someone’s eager.” She teased.

“Nine days Abby…” he reminded, as a lustful smile quickly grew on her face. 

He grabbed her hand and after reaching back to lock the door behind them, led her towards the stairs. 

Abby followed him eagerly to the base of the stairs, a surprised squeal leaving her mouth as he unexpectedly stopped and pressed her against the wall. He kissed her urgently as if he needed her lips the way most people needed air to breath. When she felt his fingers cupping her butt, she pushed against his body, sighing as he easily picked her up, urging her to put her legs around his waist. Abby felt the throbbing of his erection through his pants, pressing against the heat of her center through her thin shorts. She kissed him again, long and hard for a few minutes before finally reminding him that they still had about twenty feet to go before they made it to his room.

When they arrived, he closed the door behind him, fumbling with the lock before finally letting her body slide down his as they reached the bed. 

Marcus stepped back and watched as Abby lowered herself on to the bed, slowly pulling her white silky tank over her head and tossing it playfully at him.

With a dark smile, she leaned back into the mountain of pillows and motioned for him to come join her.

Wasting no time, he crawled towards her, his face immediately nuzzling between her now exposed breasts as his hands grabbed her waist and pulled her further down on the bed. He could feel her warmth against him, making every muscle in his body tense with anticipation.

Marcus shuddered as he moved up to kiss her, deep and hard, his hands gliding over her skin, caressing and kneading her soft flesh as if he couldn't get enough of her. All he wanted to do was feel her breasts full in his hands, nipples hard and warm against his palms.

His lips moved lower, down her neck, to kiss, to taste, to suck. It had been too long since they had been together, and it had been pure torture for Marcus… For Abby as well based on how her body was responding to his.

Deciding to take care of her, the way she had the last time they had been together, he moved down her body, replacing his hand on her breast with his mouth. Licking his way over the soft skin, he found her nipple, smiling as he felt it harden against his tongue.

Abby arched her back against him, pleasure coursing through her body as his tongue swirled and teased. As a strangled moan left her lips, Marcus closed his mouth over her nipple and began to gently suck. She rested her hands at the back of his head, her fingers running through his thick mane as he showered her breast with attention. She couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face. It was no secret that Marcus had always been a breast man and over the years, his lingering glances at her supple breasts had not gone unnoticed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that he would spend all night right there if she’d let him.

When he felt her squirming beneath his touch, her labored breathing showing how much she was enjoying his attention, he quickly swapped sides. Abby barely felt the cool air hit her body before his hand replaced his mouth.

Knowing that it was time to move things along, Marcus let his hands roam lower, dipping below the waistband of her shorts to find the slick wetness between her legs.

Abby gasped, her head falling back into the pillows as his fingers continued to ghost her slick folds. 

“God, you’re wet.” He growled into her neck.

The pleasure was too intense and Abby could feel herself approaching the edge. "So undress and don't make me wait,” she purred as he pulled back slowly descended down her body. He smiled darkly at her as he shook his head. 

“No, I’m taking my time with you tonight,” his low voice mumbled as his fingers traced her hip bones and hooked under each side of her panties. He paused and looked up at her, waiting for her to meet his eyes. She tipped her chin down, her cheeks flushed, as she watched him slowly pull the material away from her body. 

A soft moan slipped from her lips at the action as she reached for him, her fingers tangling in his hair. A few jagged breaths left her mouth as he teased her hips, her stomach, everywhere but where she was desperate for him to be. She watched as he reacquainted himself with her contours, pausing only to lightly trace the very slight swell of her abdomen that had appeared sometime over the last few days. 

With a warm smile, he resumed his descent, placing kisses further down her body where the black lace of her underwear had just been. He felt her shudder beneath him as she realized what was about to happen. 

His large hands spread her shaking thighs, moving them gently apart and then up so that they were over his shoulders. When he pressed a kiss to her clit, her nails dug into his hair, her head falling back as a strangled cry leaving her mouth. She didn’t know if it was just a fresh batch of hormones coursing through her body, but she had never been so turned on in her entire life. She was embarrassingly close, knowing that it wouldn’t take much to send her crashing over the edge.

His hands wrapped around her thighs, keeping them spread wide as he buried his mouth against her, sucking and licking every inch of her slit, nibbling her soft flesh, teasing his tongue around her opening. He could feel her shake and shudder above him as she panted his name. After a few moments of focusing on her slit with his teeth and tongue, he finally murmured “Let go Abby..” The vibration of his voice on her delicate skin finally pushing her over the edge. She came hard, yelling his name so loudly that he was scared she would wake Clarke.

 _Glad I locked the door_ , he mused silently with a smug smile, enjoying the power he was currently holding over her. 

His tongue kept up a light pace against her as she rode the wave of her orgasm, only stopping when her strangled voice called his name and tugged lightly at his head.

He lightly suckled a kiss on the inside of her thigh before he released her, slowly licking his way up her stomach and over her nipples, before he found her lips again. She was breathless, her forehead pressed to his and before he could stop her, her hand was quickly moving south. With eagerness to return the favor, her hand found his waistband and quickly disappearing inside the soft fabric. He groaned as she gripped him tighty, her hand pumping him with slow, torturous strokes. 

“You’re overdressed.” She growled as his hips thrust to match her movement. He closed his eyes as he focused solely on the feel of her fingers moving over him, her palm sliding over the tip of his cock. A small groan left his mouth as her small fingers moved away and her voice called softly out to him.

“Marcus..” she breathed, gently pushing his pants down as far as she could in her position. Opening his eyes, he stared down at her intently, completely drinking her in. She had always been gorgeous in his eyes, but seeing her there beneath him, her cheeks flushed, her hair tumbling down her shoulders, her eyes full of desire for him.. in that moment, she had never been more beautiful. 

“Please, I need this. I need you..” She begged, causing him to quickly move off the bed and shed his remaining layers. Returning to his position over her, he slipped his hand under the small of her back and positioned himself right where she wanted him to be. Her eyes darkened as the swollen tip of his cock teasing her opening. 

“Marcus, Please.” She urged, her hands on the small of his back, encouraging, no begging him to make that first breathtaking move.

He buried his hands in her hair and pulled her in for a long, urgent kiss as he used his hips to rub the head of his cock down her slit, teasing her. He broke the kiss so he could watch her and, for the rest of his life, he would remember the look on her face when he finally sunk inside her. The way her mouth fell open and her eyes slipped closed, how her head fell back just a little and her chest heaved at the sensation. It would stay with him, seared into his brain, making him forget that there had ever been anyone before her.

Resting on his elbows, her hands came up to find his, their fingers entangling as they started to move together, slow and deliberately. They found their rhythm easily and as he moved on her, he did his best to memorize every detail - How good she felt, hot and tight around him. How powerful her muscular legs felt wrapped around his waist. The vibration of her soft moans against his neck and the way the sensation sent goosebumps down his body.

"I love you,” he whispered as he stopped moving to look at her. “You know that right.” He whispered as he captured lips for a quick kiss. “I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone."

Upon hearing his voice, she opened her eyes and smiled, before whispering back. "I love you too, Marcus. I always have and I think I always will."

He placed a lingering kiss to her neck as his body again started to move against hers. Abby wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, adjusting her body to meet each thrust, her body already gearing up for another powerful release.

Marcus concentrated on making her feel pleasure, watching for everything he did to see what her reaction would be. She was so hot and wet and tight, and he was doing everything in his power to hold back until she achieved her release.

After finding a spot that made her whimper, she felt him thrust again, deeply, and she let go. Her orgasm flowed through her like molten lava, and she arched against Marcus, crying out his name as she shuttered beneath him. He thrust into her a few more desperate times before the tight fluttering of her around him finally pulled him over the edge. He breathed out heavily as his whole body fell forward against her, every nerve in his body alive with pleasure.

“God..”she breathed “That was…”

“Worth the wait..” he said breathlessly finishing her sentence. 

For a few moments, they just stayed there in each other's arms, Marcus’s forehead pressed into hers as they both came down. Abby’s fingers ran through his hair, stopping at the back of his neck to tease the little curls that only appeared when he was sweaty. He smiled at the contact and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before whispering, “I don’t ever want to leave you again.” He closed his eyes, pushing back the realization that in a few short weeks, they would be forced back into separation. He knew he needed to tell her, but he didn’t have the heart to do it at that moment. 

_This weekend..We’ll talk about it this weekend_.. he committed before looking down at her and smiling. 

He pressed lazy kisses down her neck and over her collar bone, before finally slipping out of her and dropping down on the bed beside her. 

She instinctively adjusted her body to fit against his and for a few moments, he just held her, his hands mindlessly playing with a few strands of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. 

He relaxed back a little, immediately cringing as he felt something small, but hard against his back. 

“What the?” He sputtered as Abby quickly bit her lip knowing what had happened. His hand moved behind him quickly finding the offending item as Abby’s body started to shake with laughter beneath him. He propped himself up on his elbow and stared down at her with a disapproving shake of his head. She tried to control her grin, but it was too late. She was already deliriously laughing. 

“You did that on purpose,” he playfully chastised as he watched her eyebrow raise and a devious smile play on her face.

“What am I going to do with you?” He teased as he reached up over her and dropped the piece of cereal in the bowl beside the bed.

“I thought you were going to punish me for eating in your bed?” She said innocently as he tutted down at her. Before she could say anything else, his mouth again crashed into hers. “Oh you’re going to pay..” he teased as he reached down and easily flipped her over onto her stomach, moving so that his body covered hers before she could do anything about it.

Abby was so turned on by the unexpected show of dominance that she almost didn’t hear him whisper gently into her ear, 

“Is this ok? I don’t want to hurt you.” 

In that moment, she had never loved him more. No matter what the situation, she was always his priority.

“Knock yourself out sailor” She assured, smiling wicked up at him over her shoulder.

Without the need for any further encouragement, he easily slipped one arm under her lower body and softly guided her lower body up so she was resting on all fours. As his hands ghosted the sides of her body, he reached down and urged her to spread her legs. She complied and as she felt him move between her legs, she shuttered in anticipation.

She had always loved this position, especially when she was heavily pregnant with Clarke, but Jake had never been able to hold on long enough to help her get to her release. A amused smile grew on her face as she anticipated that Marcus wasn’t likely to have that issue. 

She felt him twitch against her thigh and she looked back over her shoulder at him with lust filled eyes - the rapid return of his erection igniting her in a way she had never experienced before.

“Wow..” she breathed “Already?” Her eyes were heavy and full of anticipation and she watched a wide smirk grow on his face. Deep down she wondered if he knew he was accomplishing something that Jake had never managed to do for her. 

His hands moved slowly but deliberately up her back, his fingers dancing over her spine, until they reached her shoulders. She trembled at his touch, a gasp leaving her lips as he covered her body with his. 

His breath was hot on her neck and she shivered as she felt the vibration of his low husky voice.

“Is this what you want?”

A strangled yes escaped her lips as she felt his face lift into a dark smile. Pulling at her arms, he gently pulled her up so that she was upright on her knees, his body hard against her back. “I thought I was going to explode,” he murmured as his hands roughly cupped her breasts, kneading the soft skin making her melt against him.

She started to moan his name, as her hips started to roll. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to watch you knowing there was not a damn thing I could do to get to you.” He clenched his teeth as she moved against him and he slipped a hand around her thigh to rub her clit. He hardly touched her and she jerked.

“If I could have gotten out of today’s meetings, I would have jumped on a plane last night and kept you right here in bed all day making up for lost time.”

He pinched and then soothed the tender nub as her moves grew erratic and her breathing got louder. 

“I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Seeing you in my shirt, wanting to peel it off of you and run my tongue over every square inch of your body. I'm not even sure I heard a damn thing that was said today. I couldn’t get the mental image of you rubbing your breasts off my mind. It was torture.”

She let out a jagged moan as he continued to whisper into her ear. He smirked knowing that he had her right where he wanted her.. minutes away from another extremely intense orgasm. He rubbed her harder, his free hand roughly massaging her left breast as his mouth moved on her neck. He would tell by her movements and uneven breathing that she was close and just when he thought she was about to come completely undone he suddenly removed his hand, eliciting a harsh whine of objection from her. 

She turned her head wide eyed as he shook his head at her. “Not yet.” he breathed, bending her back over so her hands were gripping the headboard. His mouth began to place kisses up and down her back as she strained against him, desperate for him to resume his previous ministrations. 

“Marcus..” she breathed “Please..” 

He could feel her body trembling under his hands, her eagerness only hightening his arousal. 

Whimpering with need, she rocked back to feel his tip at her entrance as he entered her slowly. His hands tightened on her hips as he pushed inside her as deeply as he could go. 

He felt her melt beneath him and paused, giving her a moment to adjust to the new position. He remained perfectly still until he felt her start to rock back and forth, letting him know she was ready. He stared down, loving the visual of his length pulling out of her and then disappearing again a few seconds later. There was something so primal, so hot about this position that it didn’t take long before he let out a deep guttural moan, his body too overwhelmed by the sensations to stop himself.

“Fuck,” he said feeling her body complely surronding him, his fingers gripping her just enough to hold her steady as his thrusts slammed into her.

Knowing that she would likely need some help to reach her release in this position, he reached around her body, his fingers quickly teasing her clit. 

“God... You're so wet. So tight.. Damn Abby, this feels amazing. You're so fucking amazing.” Panting and feeling herself becoming even more aroused with his dirty talk, she met his punishing thrusts, her breasts bouncing as he took her from behind. “Please..” he growled as his fingers moved over her clit, "Please tell me your close."

She silently nodded as a moment later her entire body exploded. She melted as her walls tighten around his cock, letting her orgasm take over.

Collapsing her upper body down onto the bed, she felt his hands grip her hips so tightly that she was sure there would be bruises tomorrow. In that moment, she didn't care. Her body was so electrified that he could do whatever he wanted, as long as he didn't stop.

Satisfied that she had achieved her release, Marcus drove into her at a punishing pace. It only took a few more frantic thrusts for him to empty himself deep inside, his body shuttering at the sensation. Opening his eyes after the initial rush, he watched with dark eyes as her body instinctively milked him a few more times. He relaxed down onto her until his flaccid penis finally dropped from her wet folds. Completely exhausted, he collapsed down onto the mattress pulling her gently with him.

“Ok,” he chuckled, “I may be done for a little while.” He chucked as his arm came to rest on his forehead. She turned in his arms so she was facing him and dropped her leg over his hip. 

“Well, I for one am one satisfied customer. No complaints here. ” She said with a sly smile. 

“Well that’s a first.” He teased as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“I’m glad you’re home.” She said sleepily as she smiled up at him, her hand softly reaching up to stroke his cheek. 

“Get some sleep love.” He whispered as his arms protectively wrapped around her.

Both of them were completely exhausted, not just from the nights activities, but from two days of poor sleep. The last thing he remembered was a drowsy "love you" slipping from her lips before both fell into a deep contented sleep.


	16. Break Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby and Jake finally meet to discuss Clarke.

“Abby.. wake up..” Marcus sleepily mumbled his hand awkwardly reaching out to touch her shoulder.

“mmh.. What..”

“Your phone’s ringing.”

“Ok..” she drowsily replied burying her head back in her pillow.

“Can you make it stop?” He huffed, his mind still in that middle ground between sleep and wake-fullness.

“What..”

“Abby..” Marcus blinked, as rolled over towards her. “Honey, your phone’s ringing.”

Abby grumbled as she rolled over and slapped the table a few times until her had hit its target.

She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the brightness.

The first thing she saw was the time - 2:30am and the second was the hospitals phone number.

“I’m not on call..” She moaned as she ended the call and put it back on the table. A moment later, the same number called back.

Grabbing the phone once again, she gave a quick frustrated sigh as she swiped the screen.

“This is Dr. Griffin.”

“Abby, It’s Eric.” The sound of his voice immediately woke her. “I’m sorry to call you in the middle of the night, but they found a heart for Reese.”

She was already pushing back the covers and sitting up when the words stopped her. “What?”

“Reese, we just got the call. They found a heart for her. It’s being flown in from Phoenix now.”

“What time is the surgery scheduled?”

“They are going to start prepping her in the next half hour. The helicopter is scheduled to arrive at 3:40.”

“Who’s the on call?”

“Davis, but we both figured you’d want to scrub in.”

“Absolutely, I’ll be there as fast as I can. Thanks Eric!” She dropped the phone in her lap and rubbed her eyes as she tried to rid her body of its fogginess. Reese had really been deteriorating over the last week, so much so that she had been moved to the top of the transplant list for the West coast. Feeling Marcus’s hand on her back, she turned to see him staring at her with wide eyes.

“They found a heart for Reese!” she explained, a bright smile forming on her face. “That’s great news!” He said somewhat enthusiastically as he grabbed his own phone to see the time.

Abby found a hair tie beside the bed and started to pull her hair into a high pony tail. “Can you stay with Clarke until Harper gets here in the morning?”

“Sure, I um.” He looked at her a little dazed. “You’re leaving now?”

“The heart’s in route. Once they remove it from the donor, there’s only a four hour window.”

“Abby, it’s the middle of the night. Hell, we just went to bed.”

“It’s Reese.” She said simply, seeing the question in his eyes. “I need to be there.”

“Ok, Yeah, I need to be at the office by 8, but I’ll call Harper and see if she can pick her up from me.”

Abby leaned up and gave him a long kiss.

“Thank you.”

* * *

7 hours later, Abby trudged into her office, completely exhausted, and collapsed down on her couch. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she smiled at the photo Marcus had send her an hour or so earlier. He had taken Clarke with him into the office and she was proudly showing off her “kid’s coffee” aka hot chocolate as she sat at his desk.

 _You free?_ She typed into the text box as she swung her feet up on the couch and snuggled down into her pillows.

His face immediately appeared on the screen and with a smile she accepted the call.

“Hey handsome”

“Hey gorgeous, how did it go?”

“Reese did really well. She’s still sedated but so far everything looks great.”

“That’s wonderful news, Abby. I know how worried you’ve been for her. How are you feeling? You have to be exhausted.”

“I am,” She replied honestly. “I’m on my couch now. I’m going to try and get some sleep before I meet Jake.”

“Oh that’s right. I forgot that was today. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“I can’t cancel it. Jake would have a fit.”

“Abby you’re functioning on like 2 hours sleep.”

“It’s fine. Wouldn’t be the first time.” She reminded.

“Are you still working tonight?”

She ran her hand over her face, wishing that she could just go home. “Yeah, I still have to do my shift.”

“Abby, you can’t keep up this pace.”

“I know. It’ll be ok. I just need to get a few hours of sleep and hopefully it will be a quiet night. I guess I don’t need to call in the middle of the night any more just to talk to you.” She smiled into the phone, thinking about how many things had changed over the last month.

He chuckled, “No, I guess you don’t. Come by the office after the meeting?” He asked hopefully, “The least I can do is get a good meal in you before you work yourself to death.”

“I’d love that.”

“Ok love, go to sleep and I’ll see you after the meeting ok. Harper has Clarke right?”

“Yeah, she’s taking her to Jake around 6.”

“Ok, love you.”

“I love you too.” She quickly responded before ending the call and finally closing her eyes.

* * *

“I know I’m late. Yes, I’m in the elevator now and will be up there in a moment. I know. I’m so sorry.” Abby bit her lip as she pressed end on the call and roughly dropped her phone back in her purse.

“Damn it,” she cursed as she reached out and pushed the 15 on the wall panel a few times in a fruitless attempt to make the elevator move faster.

_Of all the days to be late.._

Abby pulled the elastic from her hair and ran her hand roughly through her chestnut locks trying to make herself look somewhat presentable. She was running on fumes and wondered if she looked at rough as she felt.

After Reese’s surgery, Abby had retreated to her office to try and sleep. She had contemplated driving back home, but knowing that she would lose and an hour and a half driving back and forth, ultimately decided that her office couch was the better choice. After talking to Marcus, she had actually managed about three hours of real sleep before a soft knock at her door and a very apologetic looking nurse asked if she could help with a patient.

Once she started working, it was hard to escape. As was often the case, they were somewhat short staffed and though Abby made sure to tell everyone she saw that she absolutely had to be out of the building by 2:00pm, it was 2:45 before she actually made it to her car. She had texted Pike that she would likely be a few minutes late, but then she had run into unexpected road construction. By the time she actually made it to the lobby of Pike’s building, it was 3:30. She was officially 30 minutes late.

She could already picture the smug look on Jake’s face when she walked into the room late. She had tried so hard to be on time, but it had just been one thing after another. None of the reasons would matter to him, the never did. All he would care about was that she was late, which, in his mind, automatically equated to her putting her career above her family. It was one of the topics that had caused more friction between the two of them over the years than anything else, well that and Marcus.

As the elevator doors opened, Abby slid through and quickly made her way towards the glass entry doors of Pike’s firm.

His assistant had been waiting on her by the receptionist desk since their call had ended. With a reassuring smile, she handed Abby a bottle of cold water and led her to the conference room where Pike, Jake and his attorney were already waiting.

Walking through the door, she shot an apologetic smile at Pike.

“I’m so sorry to be late. I had an emergency at the hospital.”

“Typical..” Jake said under his breath, causing Abby to look at him with absolute daggers in her eyes. “It’s not like this is important…” he mumbled with the petulance of a child.

“I’m sorry what was I supposed to do, Jake? Tell my patient _Hey, I’m really sorry you’re aspirating right now, but I have somewhere I need to be._ ”

“Oh, I know the hospital takes priority Abby. It always has. Honestly, I’m surprised you even showed up. I would have thought you would have just sent your boyfriend to take care of this for you.”

“Damn it Jake, don’t start!” Abby warned as she plopped down in a chair next to Pike, placing her purse on the floor beside her.

“Ignore him Abby. He’s just trying to bait you.” Charles said softly, putting his hand on her arm and giving her a quick pat.

“Dr. Griffin, I’m glad you could make it. I hope your patient is ok.” Jake’s attorney offered politely. Abby briefly looked over at Jake and watched as he sat back in his chair, crossing his arms and twisting his face, looking everywhere but in her direction.

Studying him for a moment, she tried to find a glimpse of the man that she had once loved. Jake looked so cold, so angry. There was no hint of the warm smile that usually reflected back at her. _When did we get here? When did we become these people? She pondered sadly._

Moving her focus over to the man to Jake’s right, Abby forced a smile. Sherecognized that the young attorney was attempting to calm the building tension in the room. She had really hoped that she and Jake could be civil through this process, but based on his already present animosity, her hopes were rapidly decreasing. She didn’t know why she was surprised by his behavior. There was still so much between them that needed to be resolved. Other than a few quick texts regarding Clarke, they had barely communicated with each other since the blow up in her office. Things had been said that day that couldn’t be taken back and one look at Jake now made it crystal clear that time had done nothing to lessen his anger.

“Ok,” Pike said flipping open the file folder in front of him and sliding a copy to Abby.

“The purpose of today’s meeting is to develop a custodial agreement for Dr. and Mr. Griffin’s minor child, Clarkeas well as start the framework for a pre-birth custodial agreement for Dr. Griffin’s unborn child.”

“Pending the establishment of parentage,” Jake’s attorney, John Murphy, added for clarity. Abby looked across the table at her soon to be ex husband with absolute contempt, still not understanding why he was playing this spiteful game.

“Yes, Mr. Murphy, we are prepared to discuss that today as well. Actually, why don’t we start with that since it will impact our other discussions.

”Mr. Griffin does not want to enter into any agreement regarding this new child until it is established that he is indeed the father. My client has reason to believe that Dr. Griffin has been involved in an extra marital affair and that there is a very real possible that he may not be the father of the baby.”

“Dr. Griffin is fully prepared to establish Mr. Griffin as the father of her baby. She is proposing the Noninvasive Prenatal Paternity Test to be performed by the doctor of his choosing. Since the divorce cannot be finalized until paternity of an unborn child is established in our state, we are requesting that this testing be done in the next thirty days.”

“No.” Jake said suddenly, causing all heads to turn towards him. “No prenatal testing. I’ve done some research and don’t feel comfortable with the risks to the baby. I want to wait until it’s born.”

“You’ve done some research?” Abby laughed bitterly, shaking her head in disbelief.“Really Jake? You’re really going to put your google search ahead of my medical degree?”

“The amniocentesis and CVS procedures both carry risk. There’s no reason to endanger the health of the baby when we can just wait until its born. If this is really my baby, I don’t want to do anything to risk it. We’ve been trying for too long to lose it now.”

“I specifically recommended the NIPP because there is no risk to the baby. The genetic profile of the fetus is isolated from my blood and then compared to yours. There is zero risk to the baby. It’s non invasive.” She said slowly, emphasizing the last two words. “The results are 99% accurate. The test is fast, safe, and accurate. There is no reason to postpone the divorce until after the birth.”

“No prenatal testing…” Jake said firmly. “I won’t submit to a blood test and I am not ok with the risk presented by the other options.” He glared over at Abby. “Sorry you can’t have the quick and tidy divorce you want Abby. I know you’re eager to start your new life with Marcus, but I’m just trying to think of our baby here.”

Abby opened her mouth to respond, but Pike beat her to it.

“Then we’ll petition for a court order. Mr. Murphy, since your client is clearly unwilling to have a discussion about this, let’s table it and move on to Clarke.”

“Sure,” the younger man said as he tapped his pen absentmindedly on the pad in front of him.

“I have to say Mr. Murphy, I was a little surprised by your proposal. Full custody with extremely limited contact with my client?” Pike said, raising an eye brow at the men across the table. “Typically, joist custody is the standard operating procedure in these situations unless one of the parents is found to be unfit.”

“Mr. Griffin contents that due to Dr. Griffin’s demanding work load as well as the constant instability in her schedule, as we have just seen demonstrated today, there is evidence that she is unfit to provide a structured and consistent environment for Clarke. He feels that since he is able to be home with her consistently that he would be the appropriate choice for full custody.”

“You do know there is a huge difference between full and primary physical custody right?” Pike questioned, not bothering to his the condescension in his tone.

“Of course I do.” Murphy answered sharply. “Full custody is where the child lives, physical custody is.” Pike smiled as he saw Murphy recognize his own error. "It doesn’t matter we’re asking for full custody.”

Pike pursed his lips as he tried to hide his amusement. He hadn’t had time to look into Jake’s attorney, but based on that statement alone, he wondered if his law degree was obtained from a back of a cereal box.

“Mr. Murphy, in the state of California, “unfit”is defined by abuse, neglect, mental illness, substance abuse, or incarceration.”

Pike stated coolly, tilting his head as he stared unimpressed at the man before adding, “I know my specialty is corporate law, but last I checked, being late for dinner occasionally doesn’t quite qualify as “unfit.”

Abby bit her lip to keep a grin from forming on her face. Looking over at Murphy, she saw him shift uncomfortably in his seat and she suddenly took pity on the man. He couldn’t have been more than 25 and she wondered if this was his first case right out of law school. Abby knew from Marcus that Pike could be a bull dog in the courtroom and if this was the best the man could do, Pike was going to eat him for lunch.

“Well, that may be, but providing a safe and stable environment is very important to the well being of a child.” Murphy scoffed coldly. Pike let out a quick breath as he shook his head, not believing that the young punk sitting across the table from him was actually trying to defend his misinterpretation of a basic legal definition.

The men locked eyes with each other. Murphy, trying to maintain the allusion he knew what he was talking about and Pike warning that his patience was wearing thin.

“Mr. Murphy, it is unreasonable to hold Dr. Griffin’s career against her. Her obligations at the hospital are not as drastic as your client suggested in the proposal. You painted a picture of an absentee parent, when in fact, there are only a handful of days each month where Dr. Griffin isn’t home before 6pm. Clarke has a dependable baby sitter who is available to stay with her until Dr. Griffin arrives home, even when she is delayed at the hospital. I’m sorry, but characterizing Dr. Griffin as “unfit” is a gross misrepresentation.”

Murphy stared defiantly at Pike, unable to see the flaw in his logic.

“Mr. Griffin wants full custody.” He said simply, as if by willpower alone, he would make Jake’s desire a reality.

“Not happening.” Pike replied harshly. “Mr. Murphy, perhaps you were absent that day in law school, but in the state of California, it is the parent that provides the majority of the care for a child that is typically granted primary custody.If you had bothered to have your client complete the care inventory that was provided by the Family Court mediation team, as we did, you would see that it is Dr. Griffin, not Mr. Griffin, who primarily is responsible for Clarke’s daily care.”

Murphy’s eyes narrow in confusion and Pike pounced. With a victorious grin, he slid a copy of the form across for Murphy to review.

“As you can see, per the rubric, Dr. Griffin is responsible for 85% of Clarke’s daily care. You are welcome to review the list and contest anything you disagree with, but I think you will find it to be very accurate.I’m sorry, but full custody is not on the table Mr. Murphy.”

The young lawyer began to speak, but Pike decided he was no longer interested in anything the man had to say.

“By the way,since Dr. Griffin initiated the divorce proceeding after catching her husband engaged in an extra marital affair in their family home,” Pike added to further under mind Jake’s position, “she has already submitted for an adjustment in her schedule at the hospital. She has requested that her overnight shifts be limited to once a month, coordinated when possible, to occur when Clarke is scheduled to be with her father. She has also requested a decrease in her teaching responsibilities with the med school and is exploring a move into private practice where she can structure her schedule around the needs of both Clarke, and the new child once he or she arrives. Over the past month of separation, Dr. Griffin has had sole custody of Clarke and I would like to point out there has never been any kind of lapse of care. Clarke is happy and in a stable, loving home at the moment. I don’t know a mediator alive that would agree to give your client full custody. There is simply no justifiable reason to limit Dr. Griffin’s access to her daughter to 2-3 days a month.”

Jake frowned over at his lawyer. “Are you going to say anything?”

“I told you it wasn’t the right option, Jake.” Murphy whispered in a frustrated tone to his client. “He’s not wrong. A mediator won’t agree to full custody. There is no basis.”

Abby chewed the inside of her lip to hide her amusement at Jake’s frustration. _That’s what you get for trying to cheap out on a lawyer, S_ he mused.

Pike tossed a packet across the table towards Murphy, pulling his attention away from Jake.

“We are proposing joint parental custody of Clarke with Dr. Griffin retaining primary physical custody during the week. We have outlined a rotating weekend schedule, starting retroactively this past weekend since there was already an agreement in place for Clarke to be with her father. Dr. Griffin is also prepared to accommodate visits between Clarke and her father during the week, so he is not limited to weekend access. If desired, Mr. Griffin is welcome to continue his nightly video chats with Clarke and Dr. Griffin is prepared to give Mr. Griffin first choice of attendance at school events once she starts Kindergarten in a few weeks. A schedule regarding holidays is also outlined at the bottom of our proposal.”

“No.” Jake said abruptly.

“No?” Abby questioned. “If you aren’t even willing to have a discussion, then why are we here Jake?”

“We’re not passing her back and forth like a football. She deserves better than that.”

“Of course she deserves better Jake, but this is where we are.”

“Yeah, because you bailed on us.”

“Excuse me?” she spat.

“Every marriage has arguments Abby. Fights, ups and downs, small mistakes. But at the end of the day, if you truly love that person, you fight for them. You bailed Abby. You didn’t fight. You didn’t even try. You just packed up your shit, took our daughter and left.”

For a moment, Abby just stared in disbelief at Jake, her eyes blinking as she replayed his words in her head.

“Small mistakes? Is that what we’re calling it now? You’ve been sleeping with her almost our entire marriage Jake! That wasn’t just a small mistake or momentary lapse in judgement. That was a choice.A choice that you continued to make for years. You don’t get to blame me for this.” She cried, her voice harsh and broken. “We’re here because of a choice you made, not me! Anything that happened after is irrelevant.”

“Irrelevant?” He laughed bitterly. “I know that I hurt you Abby, but what I did to you is nothing compared to what you are doing to me right now.”

“Are you kidding me Jake? You’re seriously going to sit here and act like you’re the victim in all of this?”

“Don’t act like this isn’t exactly what you wanted!” He continued, his eyes wide, his breath hot and quick. “Becca gave you the prefect excuse to get rid of me and run back to him guilt free. The ring was barely off your finger before you jumped in bed with him. Do you have any idea what that feels like? To be tossed aside so easily by the woman that said she loved you. To have to sit at home in your empty house and know that your wife is across town fucking another man. Don’t bother trying to deny it. Clarke already confirmed it.”

“Mr. Griffin, you need to watch your tone.” Pike said firmly, though both Griffin’s ignored him as if he was white noise.

“Wow! Seriously Jake! Our five year old daughter told you that Marcus and I were having sex? She doesn’t even know what that means.” Abby seethed as she sat back in her chair, her hands tightly gripping the arms of the chair.

“She told me that you sleep in his room every night. Everyone here knows what that means.”

Abby let out a jagged breath. She could feel Pike’s eyes on her, willing her to resist the temptation to get into a verbal boxing match with Jake, but she couldn’t help herself. She was already too furious.

“Where I sleep at the moment is none of your damn business, Jake.”

“You’re still my wife Abby. It’s very much my damn business.”

Abby narrowed her eyes at Jake.

“I can’t keep having this same conversation with you. I’m done sitting here letting you try and turn this around on me.” Abby hissed, “You’re the one that cheated on me. The reason we’re even having to do this today is because you made a choice that ended our marriage. This is not about Marcus.”

“It’s always been about Marcus, Abby.”

“Stop bringing him into this. I never cheated on you. You can believe what you want, but it’s the damn truth. I was never unfaithful to you. You know, if you were so unhappy you could have left, but you didn’t. You made a choice to stay with me and YOU also made a choice to keep bringing another woman into our bed. I didn’t do that Jake. YOU DID!”

“And the second you find out about her, you jumped right into bed with Marcus. Why do you think that is? I’m surprised you were even mad when you found out. I gave you exactly what you wanted - the perfect excuse to leave and do what you’ve always wanted. I offered to go into counseling. I offered to fight for us, but you didn’t even want to try and fix things. You just left. This is exactly what you wanted and you know what Abby? I not going to just sit back and give it to you. I’m not going to let him take my family!” he yelled, his hands slapping the table, causing Abby to jump at the loud crack.

“Do you know how messed up it is to have your daughter tell you how much she loves living with a man that’s not her father? How hard it is to listed to her talk about all the fun she’s having with him? I’m so sick of my conversations with my daughter revolving around Marcus Fucking Kane.”

Abby’s mouth dropped open as Jake continued “It’s not fair Abby!”

“None of this is fair Jake!” Abby spat back, unable to stop herself. “You honestly think that this is what I wanted?” Tears of frustration were gathering in her eyes as she looked over at him. “We had our issues Jake, but I thought we were happy.Never in a million years did I think I would come home to find you in bed with another woman. You destroyed our family and now you have to deal with the aftermath. I’m sorry that it upsets you that your daughter has someone in her life that takes care of her..makes her feel safe and loved. I get that you’re jealous of Marcus. You always have been but you need to get over it Jake because he’s not going anywhere. The decent thing to do right now would be to act like a damn adult and think about your daughter in all of this.”

“I am thinking of Clarke in all of this Abby! I’m her father, not him! I’m not going to stand by at watch him steal my wife and my child.”

“Steal your wife?” She said bitterly as she shook her head. “He didn’t steal me Jake! You threw me away. You can’t just decide now that you changed your mind. That you want me instead of her. You made your choice. You don’t get a second chance at this.” She paused, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

“As for Clarke, he’s not her father Jake. You are. Just because she loves him, doesn’t mean that she doesn’t love you.”

“It’s bad enough you took her from me. I won’t just sit there and let you replace me with him. You can’t keep me from my daughter!” He abruptly stood, resting his hands on the table and glaring down at Abby.

“Are you insane? Who said anything about trying to keep her from you?” Abby exhaled roughly, “Are you even listening to what is being said?”

“You know what Abby, what ever custody arrangement you want, I’ll agree to it under one condition.”

Abby’s jaw set as his words washed over her.

“You move out and I’ll give you what you want. Stay, and I’ll drag this out as long as I possibly can.”

“You’re not dictating this time line Jake.”

“The fuck I’m not.”

Abby stood and pressed her palms heavy into the table, her eyes locking with his.

“You can’t tell me what to do Jake! You’re not my husband anymore. You don’t get an opinion on how I life my life or with whom I spend my time!”

“I do when it involves my children. As long as you have Clarke and you’re carrying my baby, assuming that it really is mine, I get a say in what happens to you…what you do, where you go, who you spend your time with..Move out of his house.” He said firmly.

“Fuck you, Jake!”

“I’m her father and I am not ok with her shacking up with your boyfriend.”

“But it’s ok for her to live with you and YOUR girlfriend?”

“It’s not the same thing.”

“Are you delusional? It’s the exact same thing.”

“So you’re admitting that you're fucking him..that you two are in a relationship?”

“Are you through?” she hissed.

Abby stared at him, her eyes filling with tears that she was refusing to let fall. She looked over at him and saw something in his eyes. She saw the hurt on his face and suddenly everything clicked. She knew where this irrational anger was coming from.

“Charles, can you two leave us alone for a few minutes?” Abby said softly as Jake walked over to the windows and looked blankly out at the horizon.

Pike eyed her for a moment, not convinced it was a good idea to leave them alone together after what he had just seen. “You sure?”

She nodded and wordless, Murphy and Pike left the room.

The room was silent for a few moments as Abby figured out the best way to approach Jake. “Why are you really mad Jake? No posturing, no bull shit. Just tell me what this is really about. Because from where I stand, I’m really the only one that has a right to be angry here.”

He turned and looked at her, his face smoldering with resentment.

“I know I fucked up Abby,” Jake bitterly admitted, his voice cold and harsh.“I fucked up so severely that I honestly don’t blame you for hating me.” He looked at her with stone cold eyes, taking one step towards her and sticking his finger in her face.“But our entire marriage, you told me,” he spat, almost choking on his rage. “You promised me that there as nothing going on between you two and look at where you are now. It didn’t even take a week and you were already making a new life with him. Do you have any idea what that feels like?”

“Yeah, probably about the same as finding out your husband has been fucking other women your entire marriage.” Abby challenged honestly, his anger only stoking hers.

“You want to know why I didn’t fight for us? Why I didn’t even want to try and work through it?” she cried, fighting against her anger. “I didn’t fight for us because there’s nothing left to fight for, Jake. We’re too broken. I trusted you Jake. I trusted you when you said that you loved me. That you’d never hurt me. I trusted you with my heart, with our daughter’s heart, and you betrayed that trust. You broke me Jake….broke us. You can’t take that back. Sorry can’t fix it.”

Jake’s face hardened as he listened to her. “Jake, if it was a one time thing, maybe I could have worked through it, but years Jake. This was a decision that you made over and over. You’re having a baby with another woman Jake. I can’t just ignore that and I certainly don’t know how to work through that.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re not what?”

“I’m not having a baby with Becca.” He said so softly that she almost missed it. He turned away from her and back out at the city below.

  
“She’s not pregnant. She never was.”

“What?” Abby questioned, her face twisted in confusion.

“She made it all up. She’s been trying to get me to leave you for a little over a year. She knew that I wanted another baby and that we were having trouble. She thought that if I believed that she was pregnant..”

“That you would leave me for her.” Abby slowly exhaled as she watched Jake’s face break.

“I should have ended it, Abby. I should have ended it a long time ago and been honest with you but I..” He closed his eyes as his right hand came up to pinch his nose. “I threw away my family for her. Now I don’t have her and I don’t have you. I have nothing. I just want my life back..my family back.”

Abby blinked at him, processing his words. She understood. He had just confirmed what she was already suspecting and it woke her anger.

“You know at first, I thought you were mad that you had gotten caught. You were lashing out at me, at Marcus, because you were looking for someone else to blame for your choices but that’s not it is it?”

Jake just stared at her, unmoving and showing no reaction to her words.

“You aren’t mad that I’m not fighting for us. You’re mad that I’m not fighting for YOU.” She tried to keep her voice steady and calm, but inwardly, she was seething. 

“How were you expecting me to react to all of this? Did you really think that I was just going to crumble and spend the rest of my life trying to get you back? That you could just come and go as you pleased and that I’d just be here waiting. Choices have consequences Jake. You made a choice and now you have to deal with it. You don’t get to dictate what happens to me now or how I’m reacting to this. You can’t just hit reset and expect that everything goes away. I’m trying to pick up the pieces of my life and I’m sorry if it upsets you that I don’t need you anymore. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life trying to convince you that I’m enough, that our family is enough. If you don’t know that, then that’s the problem.”

“I do know that Abby. You are enough.”

“No, I’m not. If I was, then we wouldn’t be in this position. Jake’s it’s over and you are going to have to learn to accept that.You need to find a way to deal with what ever this is” she waved her hand at him, ”because there is no recovering from this.”

“I’m not ready to lose you.”

“That’s not your choice any more, Jake.I can’t go back and just forget everything. You’ve changed. You’re not the man I fell in love with anymore. That man doesn’t exist any more. I can’t do this anymore, not with you.”

“Because of him. You’re in love with him. Why can’t you just admit that?”

“Because it doesn’t matter. Even if Marcus wasn’t in the picture, this would still be my choice. I can’t give you the forgiveness that you’re looking for. I don’t know what the future holds for Marcus and I, but I know that you and I will never recover. All we can do now is pick up the pieces and try and move forward. We have to for Clarke and we have to for this new baby. You can keep holding on to his fantasy that it’s his if you want, but it’s not Jake. It’s yours and its mine and we should be celebrating this new little life instead of fighting over it. I want you to be in their lives. I really do Jake, but I refuse to live in this anger with you. You need to accept that things have changed and you need to move on.”

Abby exhaled as she sat back down in her chair, her emotions finally getting the best of her and causing her to feel nauseous and dizzy.

“Abby..” Jake said quietly, noticing the color drain from her face. “Are you ok?”

She turned to look at him. “No,” she replied as she took a deep breath and bent down to retrieve her purse. “But it’s not your problem anymore Jake. You need to figure out how we’re going to do this and when you’re ready, let me know. But I’m done having this conversation with you. Figure it out, or get the hell out of my life.”

Without another word, she walked out of the room and started down the hall.

Seeing her leave the room, Pike moved quickly down the hall to catch Abby before she disappeared into an elevator.

The doors had just opened when Pike caught her and stepping into the elevator with her. Her face was white and her body was trembling.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let that go on so long. Are you ok?” Pike said, his eyes filled with concern.

She nodded. “Yeah, Sorry I lost my temper. You told me to stay quiet. I should have listened.”

“You have nothing to apologize for Abby. He was out of line. Honestly, it was hard to resist the urge to jump across the table and punch him.”

He shook his head as he offered a half smile.

“Man, when you told me he had issued with Marcus, you weren’t lying.”

Abby let me a small laugh. “I honestly had no idea how deep rooted his animosity was. There’s always been tension between them, but apparently things have been festering more than he ever let on.” She frowned thinking back over the outburst. “He’s always had issues with being wrong. I think he’s just mad he got caught with Becca and it’s just easier for him to blame Marcus for the issues in our marriage then to accept his role in things.”

“Listen, let me handle things. Now that I have a better idea where his head is in all of this, I know how to work this. I’ll set up an appointment with the mediator. Seeing that I have that entire outburst recorded, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting primary custody.”

She was silent for a moment, trying to decide if she even wanted to know the answer to the question that was on the tip of her tongue.

“Can he make me move out?” She asked so quietly he almost didn’t hear her.

“He can’t dictate where you live. Even with Clarke, he would have to prove that she was being kept in an unsafe environment. In that scenario, she would be removed from your custody. He has no control over where you live. Listen, I don’t know what all is happening between you and Marcus, and I don’t want to know. It’s not my business, but as long as you are happy where you are..stay. Jake can’t make you leave.”

He looked down at the ground before continuing, knowing that the next bit of information was not something she wanted to hear.

“He can however, drag this entire thing out. I’ll push for a court ordered blood test, but I likely won’t get it. He can refuse prenatal testing. I’ll do what I can, but you need to be prepared for the fact that this divorce will likely not happen until after the baby is born.

She closed her eyes as she bit back her emotions.

“I just want this to be over.”

“I know you do and I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen ok.”

“Thank you.” she said responded sincerely as the elevator doors opened into the lobby of the building.

Pike took her by the arm as they stepped out of the elevator.

“Let me walk you to your car.”


	17. Break Point Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby finds out about Hawaii and then finds herself back in a position that she had hoped she would never be in again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has an adult theme that I hope I treated with the deepest care and respect. Major hurt coming, so be warned. I promise happier times are coming for our pair, so please bare with me as we move through this. If you are triggered by loss, you may want to wait until the next chapter.

The thing about rain is it always falls. Sometimes it falls so lightly that you barely notice it. Sometimes it falls with such relentless force that you think you’ll never escape it and just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. You feel lost and angry and wonder if you’ll ever see the sun again. You retreat inside, hoping to find shelter, to find peace, but the truth is the only way to see the sun again is to endure the rain. The one reality of life is that the rain always stops. You just have endure it and trust that the sun is shining behind the clouds.

* * *

Abby leaned her head back on the soft leather of Marcus’s office couch and closed her eyes, the soft dulcet tone of his voice relaxing her to the point that she was having trouble staying awake. The pure anger she had felt earlier in Pike’s office had sapped the last bit of energy she had left. All she wanted to do was go home, snuggle up with Marcus, and forget the day. Unfortunately, she still has a 12 hour shift ahead of her. All she could do now was pray that it would be a quiet night and that she could actually get a few hours of consecutive sleep in the on call room.

As Abby tried to relax, Marcus paced the room, listening with increasing annoyance to the very talkative person on the other end of the line. As he moved around the room, his eyes kept drifting to Abby. She had told him she had slept for a few hours at the hospital before the meeting with Jake, but from the look of her, it hadn’t done any good.

He couldn’t believe that she had to go back to the hospital. It never made sense to him how doctors could work such strenuous hours and still manage to be effective health care providers. For a brief moment, he thought about calling and telling someone that she was sick, but the thought left as quickly as it had arrived. He knew better than to overstep like that. She would kill him, of that he had no doubt.

After finally ending the call, Marcus placed his phone on the desk and moved to join Abby on the couch.

Feeling the seat dip beside her, she slowly opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him.

“So, how did it go?” Marcus inquired, though he already had a suspicion.

Her smile quickly morphed into a deep frown as her eyes slipped back closed.

“That bad huh?”

“God Marcus, it was awful.” She answered honestly as she moved to sit up and face him. “I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to be in the same room again without yelling at each other.” She ran her hand down over her face before frowning over at him. “I shouldn’t have let Jake bait me like he did, but I couldn't stop myself.”

“You’re exhausted, Abby. I’m sure your patience was gone before you even walked in.”

She gave him a half smile, nodding in agreement.

“He refused to bend on anything. I don’t even know why we bothered today. I should have listened to you and just canceled. Would have saved myself a lot of grief.”

“So what now?”

“We’re going to have to use a mediator.”

She frowned over at him. “I knew he was going to be mad when he found out about us, but all of this anger.” She bit her lip as she replayed the earlier conversation with Jake in her mind. “Marcus, he’s more upset that I’m with you than he is that our marriage is over.”

“He said that?”

“Basically. He kept focusing on you and how I didn't fight to save our marriage." 

"Seriously?"

She nodded as she rolled her eyes. "He's just mad that he doesn't have a back up plan. Becca lied to him. She was never pregnant. It was some trick to get him to leave me. When she found out I was pregnant, she admitted it to him. Somewhere in that twisted brain of his, he thought he could just say sorry and I’d be waiting to welcome him back. Honestly, I'm not so sure he isn't trying to delay the divorce just so he can try and change my mind. He's snapped."

“Well, I’m not letting you go without a fight.” A sly smile grew on his face as his eyes met hers.

“There’s no fight, Marcus. I’m yours.” She affirmed, smiling at him with such depth that his heart clenched.

“He’s pushing for me to move out.”

“I’m sure he is.” Marcus chuckled bitterly.

“He actually threatened to drag this all out as long as possible if I don’t.”

“I thought you just needed the paternity testing to finalize the divorce.”

“He’s refusing prenatal testing,” Abby said flatly.

“Can he do that?”

She gave a half shrug. “Pike says yes. The only other option would be me getting the testing done to prove that he’s not the father and other than finding a lab tech that’s willing to fake the results…” She laughed sadly. “Pike’s going to do what he can, but warned me to be prepared.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she leaned back into the couch,“I just want this to all be over.”

He shifted closer to her on the couch and snaked his arm behind her neck, gently encouraging her head on to his shoulder.”

“I know. We’ll get through it, Abby.”

She reached up with her left hand, her fingers finding his where they had been slowly moving on her shoulder. “I swear Marcus, you are the only thing holding me together right now,” she softly admitted, her voice broken and heavy. “I don’t think I’d survive this without you.”

A pang of guilt shot through him as the words left her mouth. He knew he needed to tell her about Hawaii, but just like this moment, it didn’t feel right to kick her while she was down. He had promised to be with her through all of this and now, he was going to be 2500 miles away.

Professionally, he was so excited about this project, but personally, it was tearing him apart. He didn’t want to leave Abby. Not now, not when they were just starting this new phase of relationship and certainly not while she was in the middle of one the most difficult situations of her life.

Through out their relationship, they had always been a stabilizing force for each other. When one was struggling, it was always the other picking up the pieces and putting them back in place. It was a role that they had passed back and forth many times over the course of their relationship. God knows, she had saved him more times than he cared to admit. There had been times that he would have forgotten to breath if she hadn’t been there to remind him. Now it was again his turn to take care of her and he wasn’t going to be able to be there, not in the way he wanted to be.

She needed him. She had just confirmed it. She needed him to be the one person she could depend on when her world was falling apart. He didn’t even know how to begin to tell her that he was going to have to support her from afar.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t capable of taking care of herself. She absolutely was. He knew without a doubt that she could function without him. She could get up every day, go to work, care for Clarke, and do all the things that make up the daily mundane. In that sense, she would be fine. It was her emotional well being that was of more concern to him.

She was the strongest and most capable person he knew, but she was dealing with so much at the moment - more than anyone should ever have to deal with at one time. Even the unflappable Abigail Griffin had a breaking point and though she was doing a good job of hiding it, all the warning signs were there. He knew she was dangerously close to her limit.

“I’m just so tired.” She said softly, breaking him away from his mind. “I can’t keep doing this Marcus. I can’t spend the rest of my life fighting with him.”

Before he could respond there was a knock at the door and Nate poked his head in.

“Marcus, I.” Nate paused, seeing that Marcus was not alone on the couch.“Oh! Abby,” the man said smiling over at the familiar face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” He said offering an apologetic smile.

“No, it’s ok. What do you need Nate?”

“Wick and I need your eyes for a minute. I can come back if this isn’t a good time.”

After getting a nod from Abby, Marcus stood and followed the younger man out of the room.

Abby had just picked up her phone to check her email when a bright voice broke the silence of the room.

“Oh Abby! I didn’t know you were here!”

Abby smiled up at the young woman as she watched her walk over and place a few envelopes on Marcus’s desk.

“How have you been? I feel like I’ve not seen you in forever.” Raven said earnestly as she leaned back against the desk, facing Abby.

“Good, it’s just been a long day.” Abby offered, doing her best to hide her exhaustion.

“I hear ya!” Raven bobbed her head in agreement. “Every one enjoyed having Clarke here this morning. It was so cute seeing her follow Marcus around this office like his little assistant.”

Abby’s face lifted, remembering the photo that he had sent her earlier that morning. “She really has him wrapped around her finger doesn’t she?” Raven giggled.

Abby laughed, knowing that it was very true. “She pretty much owns him.”

“Well, It was fun seeing that side of him today.” Raven shifted a little as she reached back to move a stack of papers from behind her. “So,are you two going to be able to visit Marcus? I mean if I were you, I’d be there every weekend."

Abby tilted her head at Raven, just as Marcus walked back into the room. All he had heard was his name and visit and he went into panic mode. His eyes immediately shot to Raven and he shook his head, his eyes pleaded for her to stop talking.

Raven lifted an eyebrow at Marcus as she continued, not understanding what he was trying to communicate in that moment.

“I keep trying to remind him that he can’t survive without me, but so far he’s not budging. Says he needs me holding down the fort while he’s gone. Maybe you can convince him what a colossal mistake that is.”

The words were out of her mouth before Marcus could stop her.

“What do you mean?” Abby turned to look at Marcus, immediately seeing the guilt behind his eyes.

“Where are you going?”

“Honolulu..” Raven quickly reminded, oblivious that she was sharing new information. Seeing the confusion on Abby’s face, she turned her attention back to her boss.

“Wait, have you not told her yet?” she asked as her brows snapped together. It hadn’t even occurred to her that he would keep something like that from Abby.

“No,” Marcus breathed, his face defeated. “We’ve not talked about it yet.” He frowned over at Abby, watching as her expression hardened.

“Well, this is awkward.” Raven concluded as she looked back and forth between the two of them. “Why don’t I give you two some privacy.” She offered, jumping to her feet and walking towards the door. She mouthed a quick ‘ _Sorry’_ as she walked by Marcus. He frowned at her, but knew he didn’t have a right to be angry. It wasn’t Raven’s fault he had kept that from Abby for the past week.

Marcus pressed his lips together as closed the door and turned to face Abby.

“What’s she talking about Marcus?”

His hands went to his hips as he looked at her. There was no way around it, this conversation was happening now whether he liked it or not.

“Wallace needs us to develop a hybrid air gap system bridging their US offices with their research facilities around the Pacific. We have to be on site in Honolulu to do it. Since air gap integrations are my thing..”

“You have to go.” She slowly nodded.

“How long have you known?” Her eyes narrowed in on his, her jaw set in a hard line.

“About a week.” He answered honestly, knowing there as no reason to start lying. As his eyes held hers, he didn’t miss the disappointment registering on her face.

“Why keep that from me?” She questioned a little more harshly than she had intended.

“I don’t know. You're kind of dealing with a lot right now Abby. I was waiting for the right time." He shook his head, knowing how dumb it sounded. "I’m sorry, I should have told you when I found out.”

“Yeah, you should have,” she bit back, flenching as she saw the verbal wound hit him. 

“I’m sorry.” she softened, trying to abate her anger. She opened her mouth to continue, but nothing came out.

“I was going to tell you all about it over the weekend, when we had time to sit down and come up with a plan together.” He sat down next to her and ran his hand down over his face. “I knew I would have to spend some time on site, but I really thought it would be a few days here and there. I wasn’t prepared for what was really going to be required.”

“How long are we talking? A couple of weeks?”

He softly shook his head.“Months.”

Her face dropped, “Months?” She repeated, a little surprised by his words. “Like 1 or 2?”

He again shook his head, seeing her eyes grow a bit more weary.

“At least 4,” he mumbled, looking over at her and suddenly feeling like an asshole for keeping her in the dark, “but it could be a long as 6.”

“Six?” She echoed, her heart already in her throat. He watched her for a minute as she processed the information. He could already see her mentally doing the math, figuring out and categorizing all the events that he would be absent for over the next few months - Clarke’s first day of Kindergarten, doctor’s appointments, her birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas…

“I should have told you sooner. This obviously wasn’t the way I had planned on telling you.”

“It’s fine, Marcus,” she lied. He watched as her eyes filled with unshed tears and her face tightened in a futile attempt to control her emotions.

“Abby..” He let go a deep breath as he watched her fighting with her emotions.

“Sorry. I’m not sure why I’m upset.” She reached up to wipe her cheek. “It’s been a really long day. I’m a mess.”

“Come here,” he said, reaching out for her. She shook her head as she stood, “I’m going to go.”

“Abby don’t..” he said quickly recognizing that she was trying to flee the room. “Come on, don't shut me out.”

“We’ll talk later ok.” She offered roughly as she tried to step around him.

He moved to block her, his eyes pleading with her to stay. “Abby. Talk to me.”

“Marcus, it’s fine.”

“It’s obviously not.” He frowned down at her, his hands moving to his hips.

“You just surprised me, that’s all. It’s a lot to take in.”

“Then let’s go get dinner. Talk though some of this.”

“I just need some time ok.” She murmured as her eyes shifted towards the door. She knew she was overreacting but she couldn’t stop herself. The panic she was feeling at facing the next months without him by her side was overwhelming. She felt a tear slip down her cheek and silently cursed her inability to control her emotions.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him lower his head, his face twisted in frustration. She sighed, knowing that she was being unfair. With everything that she had just been through with Jake, she couldn’t help the anger that had bubbled up inside of her. She couldn’t handle the thought that he too could be keeping things from her. She wanted so badly to be mad at him, but she couldn’t. Marcus had never done anything to intentionally hurt her in his life, she knew that without a doubt. If he said he was waiting to tell her over the weekend, then she believed him. Deep down she knew that his omission had been with her best interests at heart and that her annoyance was really just her fatigue getting the best of her. She took a moment to gather herself. _He’s not Jake_ , her mind reminded.

“I’m sorry Abby.” He offered honestly.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for Marcus.” She whispered as her hands dropped to her side. She felt so depleted.

“I promised to be there to help you deal with all this shit with Jake and to help with Clarke. I was supposed to be there each night to make sure you were taking care of yourself, not over doing it. I feel like I’m abandoning you. ”

“You’re not abandoning me, Marcus. You can’t put your life on hold just because I need you.”

“I would if I could. You know that right?” He said honestly, his large brown eyes boring into hers.

_Damn him and those eyes.._

“You are making it really hard to be mad at you right now.” She whispered softly as one corner of her mouth tilted up.

“Are we ok?”

She moved forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, “Depends, what else are you hiding from me?”

 _Tell her about Aurora, his mind encouraged. No, not yet._ Russell had mentioned they would be working closely together, but Marcus wasn’t so sure that would really be the case. His role was to supervise the on site team and ensure the quality of the work. If she was going to Wallace’s “eyes and ears” for the project, then she would probably be working with his staff more than himself.He decided toleave Aurora out of this until he figured out how this was all going to play out. Knowing how much the two women disliked each other, there was no reason to add that to the mix until he knew it was even going to be an issue.

“Nothing, that’s it.”

 _Coward_

“Then we’re ok,” she breathed out slowly. 

He tiled his head, seeing the sadness she was trying to hide. “It’s not like I’m going to Mars for six months. We can face time every chance we get and I’ll try and get back here a few times a month at the very least. You’ll see my ugly mug so much that you’ll be sick of me.”

“I could never be tired of that handsome face of yours.” she assured as she stepped into his body, her hands snaking around his waist.

“Come with me,” He whispered as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight.

“I wish I could.” She said sadly.

“You can.” He murmured into her neck. “I’m getting my own condo. There’s more than enough room for you and Clarke.”

“Marcus..”

“Come with me,” he urged hopefully, knowing deep down that it wasn’t really an option.

“I can’t just walk away from my job and Clarke’s about to start school.”

“Take some time off. We can find a school for Clarke.” he pulled back and brushed a stray piece of hair back behind her ear.

“I wish it was that simple. Jake would never allow it.” He nodded, knowing she was right.

“As much as I want to, and believe me I do, I can’t just run away from my life.”

“I know. You can’t blame a man for trying.”

“We’ll figure it out.” She said more for her benefit than his.

He looked at her for a moment. It didn’t seem possible but she looked paler than she had when she had arrived.

“Call in sick Abby. Please, let me take you home.”

“I can’t.”

“You CAN.” He urged gently.

“Jaha would have my head.”

“You’ve barely slept.”

“I elected to go in last night. It doesn’t get me out of my shift. It’s ok. Im going to do my rounds and then hit the on call room.” She buried her head back into his chest, enjoying his warmth against her skin. He placed a quick kiss to the top of her head.

“Come on, let’s get you something to eat. I still have two hours to see if I can get you to change your mind.”

Nodding, she stepped out of his arms and turned back towards the couch. She bent down to grab her purse and abruptly stopped as her eyes clamped shut. She felt a wave of nausea and dizziness wash over her as she grabbed the end of the couch for stability. Not missing a beat, Marcus was immediately beside her, his eyes wide with concern.

She moved to sit down on the couch as Marcus kneeled before her. “Ok, I’m calling Callie. You're not ok."

“No, I’m fine.” 

“You’re not.”

“I just need to eat.”

“Abby…”

“Do you have anything here? A protein bar? Anything?” Her hands were clammy, her body weak.

He stared at her for a moment, trying to decide if she was telling the truth or just trying to get him out of the office for a few minutes. Against his gut, he decided to trust her assessment.

“Yeah, let me go check the break room. Indra usually keeps some in there.”

He grabbed his phone as he left the room, sending a quick text to Callie as soon as he was out of eye sight.

* * *

Much to his frustration, Abby had indeed perked up once she had eaten. She was still exhausted, he could see it in her body language, but she didn’t look as pale as she had earlier in his office. He had at least persuaded her to let him drive her to work with the promise that he would be there to take her home when her shift was over. He would be late getting to the office but for the first time in his life, he didn't care.

Abby had checked in with the nurses and was just sitting down at her desk with a cup off coffee when a friendly voice pulled her attention.

“There you are,” Callie said leaning onto Abby’s open office door with a sly smile.

“Hi Cal, Are you working tonight too?” 

“Actually, I just signed out, had a late delivery. I was about to head home but Marcus mentioned you were here.”

Abby sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “And just when did you talk with Marcus?” She huffed.

“He was worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

Callie gave her a dismissive shrug as she walked in and sat down.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like shit.”

Abby glared over at her, “Remind me why we’re friends?”

“When was the last time you ate?”

“Callie..” Abby whined, not really in the mood for twenty questions.

“Abby, I’m not asking as your friend, I’m asking as your doctor.”

“I had dinner with Marcus before my shift.”

“And what did you have?” 

“Caesar salad with grilled chicken.”

“Drinking water?” Abby reached over and held up her half full water bottle. "What else doctor?" she asked with annoyance.

“Any nausea, dizziness, cramps?”

“No,” she lied.

Callie raised an eyebrow at her and Abby rolled her eyes in defeat, knowing Marcus had ratted her out.

“Earlier at Marcus’s office yes, but once I ate it was gone.”

Callie nodded her head as she pursed her lips. _“Why are doctors always the worst patients?” she mused._

“Sleep?”

“You have me there. Remember me telling you about little Reese?”

“Heart patient?” Callie questioned.

“Yeah, she finally got her new heart this morning! Unfortunately, I was here scrubbing in for the surgery at 3am. Caught a few hours of sleep on the couch before my meeting with Jake, then dinner with Marcus and here I am.

“You can’t do two overnights back to back Abby.”

“The surgery this morning was my choice.”

Callie roughly pushed herself up from the chair and walked over to Abby, taking her arm and pulling back her sleeve as Abby shook her head.

“Is this really necessary?”

“Yes, Abby it is.” Callie spoke with authority, shifting officially into doctor mode.

After taking her pulse, she leaned back against Abby’s desk.

“Go home, sweetie. Take a few days for yourself. No one is going to blame you. The last month has been pretty awful.”

“Callie, I promise as soon as I’m done with rounds I’m going to try and sleep.”

Callie looked at her unimpressed. “I’m on Jaha’s shit list as it is right now. I can't bail."

“Abby, I’m serious. You can’t keep this up.”

“I know. I promise I’ll get some sleep tonight ok.”

"You can't promise that. You don't know what's going to happen on the floor tonight."

"I promise I'll make it my priority." 

“Then I want you to take the rest of the week off.”

“I have tomorrow off. I promise I’ll spend the entire day in bed.”

“Not good enough. Rest of the week Abby.”

“Cal.” she pleaded.

“Are you really going to make me pull rank?”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Abby said as she playfully narrowed her eyes at her friend.

“Try me.” She asserted, her usually warm demeanor not rigid. “When you leave in the morning, I don’t want to see you back here until next week. If I do, I’ll put you on medical leave for two weeks. Abby, you’re under a tremendous amount of pressure right now, as your doctor and as your friend, I’m telling you, you have to relax. Especially now.”

Abby stared defiantly at her friend.

“I love you sweetie but I’m serious.”

“I know.” Abby said, leaning forward and dropping her head into her hands.

“Don’t be too hard on him for telling me ok.” Callie smiled. “He’s just worried about you. We both are.”

* * *

After rounds, Abby had disappeared to the on call room. Before closing her eyes, she took a selfie of her head on the pillow and texted it to both Marcus and Callie. She had barely remembered closing her eyes before sleep took her. Some time later, she woke do a dull ache in her back. The mattress in the on call room was a far cry from what she was used to, but it normally didn’t bother her. She moved to her side and attempted to sit up, but when she did a sharp pain radiated to her shoulder and then down her back and across her rib cage. She reached back and rubbed her back, but the pain didn't dissipate. Finally pushing herself up, she felt light headed again and she grimaced as her head began to throb.

“Damn it,” she hissed as she pressed her hand to the small of her back, the pain now radiating further into her belly. She began to make her way to the bathroom, as tears started to gather in her eyes.

She looked up at her reflection in the mirror after splashing cold water on her face. She looked so damn pale. She started back towards the bed to get her phone when her vision blurred and the room started to spin around her. An involuntary cry left her lips as the pain worsened and she pressed her body against the wall, slowly sliding down the wall towards the floor. As the room continued to spin, her hand clamped over her mouth, the sudden realization of what was happening washing over her. _Please no..not now_ , she choked out as her eyes drifted slowly closed, darkness taking her.

* * *

When Abby opened her eyes, she looked around the room, inferring from the familiar institutional furniture that she was in a hospital room. She didn’t remember how she had gotten there. The last thing she had remembered was a heart wrenchingly familiar sensation before dropping into darkness. She remembered Alex’s face, and then someone else she didn’t recognize picking her up and putting her on a gurney. It was just fragments after that. A monitor with her vitals, a pain in her right arm, voices that were familiar but no faces attached to them.

She didn’t need any one to tell her what had happened. She already knew and her hands instinctively drifted to her belly as hot tears started to fall down her face.

Just as she was starting to get control of herself, the door to the room opened and her face crumpled at the tall figure before her. _Of course they had called him, she lamented._ He was her emergency contact, she hadn’t thought to update it over the last month. Why would she?

“Hey,” Jake said hoarsely, a tormented expression on his face. He knew that he was probably the last person she wanted to see, but six years was still a long time to love someone. As strained as their relationship now was, he couldn’t just turn off his feelings. He still loved her and suspected a part of him always would. He knew he didn’t have a right to be there, but he just needed to see her.

“I really don’t have the energy to deal with you right now Jake.” Abby said weakly as her hands moved to cover her face.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re ok.”

“Well, I’m not ok. So you can go.”

“Abby..”

“Jake, please. Just go.”

“It was my baby too Abby. You don’t have to bottle this up. You don't have to do this alone.”

Her face crumpled at his words and he walked tentatively over to her, reaching out to touch her hand.

“Don’t!” She said harshly, causing him to flinch.

“Please, I can’t.” She warned as Jake nodded, tears also gathering in his eyes. 

“Where is Clarke?” She suddenly asked. She was supposed to be with him.

“She’s at the house. Becca’s with her.” He said, knowing it was the last thing she wanted to hear.

Abby just closed her eyes. She didn’t have the energy argue with him. Clarke was safe, that was all that mattered.

“This isn’t what I wanted Abby. You know that right?” She frowned over at him, seeing the hurt in his eyes.

“I know.” She whispered as her eyes fluttered back open and held his for a brief moment.

“I’ll leave you alone. I’m sorry, I just wanted to see you. I can keep Clarke for the rest of the week if you want, so you can have some time.”

She glanced back over at him, slowly nodding, but not trusting herself to speak.

He moved closer to her, reaching out to put his hand on her leg. She tensed at the contact, but didn’t fight him. “I’m really sorry Abby. You're not alone in this ok?.” He sadly reminded.

"I know. I'm not." she whispered. Jake's face twisted into a hard frown as he understood what she meant. 

He watched as her eyes drifted away from his. All he wanted to do was sit down next to her and hold her, but he knew that it was no longer something he had the right to do. He knew that it was his fault that she was no longer his, but it didn’t lesson the ache he was feeling. In that moment, he knew it was all over and with a long exhale he turned and left the room, closing the door on a future that was no longer his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pretty hard for me to write. I've been leading up to this for a while and I promise there is a purpose to Abby’s pain. I hope this wasn't too hard for anyone to read. Thank you again to everyone for your support as I explore this AU. It means more to me than you know!


	18. Life After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus does his best to help navigate Abby through the latest blow.

For the second night in a row, Marcus woke up to an incessant ringing beside his bed. With an irritated groan, he rolled towards the night stand to silence his alarm. He felt like he had just gone to sleep. How was it already 6am? The sound stopped and then started again. His mind finally caught up to his ears and he realized that the sound was his phone rather than the alarm app. He grabbed the device and cursed as the bright light temporarily blinded him. He blinked rapidly to force his eyes to adjust, but when they did a knot immediately formed in his stomach. It was 1 am. There was absolutely no reason for Callie to call him in the middle of the night unless something was wrong.

As his feet hit the floor, he cradled his head in his hands, listening intently as Callie explained what had happened. After ending the call, he hastily dressed and sprinted down stairs to the garage. Thanks to a series of green lights and the lack of cars on the road, he made the normally 35 minute drive downtown to Arkadia General in less than 20 minutes, though he didn’t remember most of it.

He pulled into parking garage D, as Callie had instructed, picking up the temporary parking pass that had been left for him. The hospital didn’t allow visitors at night, so she had arranged to meet him at the staff entrance. As he made his way around the structure, he started to feel sick. He had been fine the entire drive, too focused on getting there to really think about the gravity of the situation.Once he pulled into Abby’s parking spot and stopped moving for a moment, everything hit him like a ton of bricks. His heart was in his throat, his chest aching; there was nothing he could do to make this better and the sadness that overtook him was like nothing he had ever known. It was all too much.

He allowed himself a quick minute to let out the initial wave of emotion before burying them back down. There would be time to sit in those feelings later, right now he just needed to get to Abby. The instructions Callie had texted him had been very straight forward and as he found the glass pedestrian bridge, he saw her waiting at the other end. He could tell by her posture that she was also exhausted. Her normally soft, warm expression was a mix of exhaustion and concern. He knew the look well. He had seen it on Abby's face many times as she pushed herself through long shift after long shift. He was known to work crazy hours, but it was nothing compared to the life of a hospitalist. It never ceased to amaze him how they functioned at the level they did with the constant demands on their body and lack of sleep.

“How is she?” He asked, a small lump immediately forming in his throat as he watched her press her ID to the panel on the side of the glass doors.

“Tired and hurting more than she’ll let on,” Callie replied honestly. There was no reason to lie, especially to Marcus. “You know Abby. She’s putting on a brave face, pretending she’s fine." Callie looked up at him, a disappointed frown on her face, "She's not fine.”

“What happened?” Marcus quietly asked as he followed Callie towards the bank of elevators.

“One of the floor nurse’s found her unconscious in the on call room." She shook her head as she continued. "I knew I should have taken her down to my office when I saw her, but she insisted she was ok. I should have known better. Her vitals were a bit off, but that could have also just been the stress and lack of sleep." she added with a small grimace. "It wouldn't have stopped it from happening, but I could have made it a little easier on her." They approached a set of closed double doors and Marcus watched her again swipe her key card. "No one knew she was pregnant, so it took a little time to piece things together. Dr. Diyoza was the OB on call. When she saw it was Abby, she called me. They ended up performing a procedure to stop the hemorrhaging. She's lucky they found her when they did. This could have been much worse. "

“When can I take her home?”

“If I had to guess, she’ll likely be discharged mid morning. She shouldn’t be alone. Are you available to stay with her? I know things are crazy for you at work right now.”

“Of course, I’ll, um.” He bit his lip trying to figure out how to rearrange his day. “I’ll figure it out, but yeah, absolutely I can be home.”

“Medically, she’s going to be fine.” Callie said flatly as they entered an elevator. “She should be back to herself in about a week, but emotionally..” Marcus looked knowingly over at Callie, “This may take a little time. She’s already blaming herself.”

Marcus’s expression tightened. “Was it something..” He stopped short of saying it. “She’s been under so much stress. I should have done more to..”

“No, Marcus.” Callie reassured, not letting him finish his thought. “There was nothing either of you could have done. Unfortunately, it happens more than you think. We don’t always know why, but stress alone really hasn’t been proven to be a cause. It definitely didn’t help things, but it wasn’tthe root cause. Abby knows that but..”

“I know.” He replied simply, looking at down at the ground as the elevator doors opened to the 12th floor opened.

Silently, Marcus followed Callie down another maze of corridors. As his eyes drifted down the halls, it struck him was how different the adult side of the hospital was fromthe children’s wing where Abby worked. Everything about the children’s hospital had been thoughtfully designed with end user in mind. Great care had been given to make everyone feel at ease and welcome, from the engaging artwork to the brightly colored walls. The adult hospital, by contrast, was sterile and cold. Everything was a muted color, no bright splashes of color, just simple washed out tones of grey. There was no art work, just the occasional dark mark or gash caused by the hundreds of gurneys that had probably bumped into them over the years.

The hallways were intrusively bright, as if the light fixtures themselves had been intentionally selected to force your gaze down towards the ground. Even the corridors themselves felt like they had been designed to make you feel uncomfortable. He never understood how anyone ever managed to find their way. They were nothing but endless twists and turns. Doors with with no apparent way to enter and directional signs hanging sporadically from the ceiling with acronyms that were only helpful if you knew what they meant. He was thankful that Callie was there to guide him, especially since he hadn’t come in via the main entrance. There was no way he would have ever found Abby.

As Marcus followed Callie, he was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice the large figure heading towards them. It wasn’t until Callie stopped abruptly beside him that his gaze finally lifted. His eyes had first gone to her and then, as he followed her stare down the corridor, to Jake.

Callie instinctively stepped in front of Marcus as she silently cursing herself for not having the forethought to see if he had been called.

At first, she had thought she had seen sadness in Jake’s eyes, but as he moved closer, she could see him trembling with rage.

As she turned to look at Marcus, she watched with trepidation as his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed in on Jake. Callie knew the two men had not seen each other since the blow up in Abby’s office, and as she assessed both mens posture, it was suddenly very apparent that time had done nothing to ease the tension between them.

“You and I need to talk Kane,” Jake spat harshly as he stopped in front of Marcus, not bothering to acknowledge that Callie was there.

“I’m sure we do, but not right now.” Marcus replied in a low, but firm voice.

“Yeah, I think it needs to be now.” Jake insisted, his eyes full of fire.

Marcus let out a breathy laugh as his irritation flared.

Callie watched Marcus’s lip twitched, immediately recognizing that his patience with Jake was already gone. Emotions were running high for everyone and she knew that if she didn’t intervene, things were quickly going to get ugly. By nature, Marcus wasn’t a violent man, but he did have his limits, especially when it came to anyone hurting Abby. Before either of them could say something more, Callie gently pushed Marcus towards the wall giving him a warning look before turning and glaring at Jake. “No Jake. Not now. You need to go. You aren’t doing this tonight.”

“What have you said to her? What kind of bull shit have you fed her that she won’t even look at me,” he huffed, his eyes unfocused and his face suddenly twisted in a myriad of emotions. “I should be the one in there comforting her and she,” his voice trailed off as he roughly ran his hand down his face.“She doesn’t want me. She wants you. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.” He admitted bitterly. “I guess a part of me actually believed that I could be enough for her.” His eyes shifted away briefly before returning to Marcus. “But how could I be when you were always there pulling her away.”

Callie and Marcus both recognized the hurt behind his anger. He may have been the reason his family had fallen apart, but that didn’t make him immune to the emotional aftermath.

“I never pulled her away from you Jake,” Marcus corrected flatly. “You did that all by yourself. You pushed her away.”

“If you weren’t in the picture, she might actually be trying to fight for us. She might actually need me to help her through this. That was my child and I should be in there grieving it with my wife, but.”

“I’m not the reason you aren’t in there Jake,” Marcus interrupted. Unwilling to stand there and listen to him try to spin things again.

“The fuck you’re not.”

“Jake, we aren’t doing this now.” Callie said firmly, her patience for his outburst also gone. Abby had mentioned that Jake’s behavior had really become erratic since this all began and suddenly she could see what Abby had been talking about. His rage was irrational and if she didn’t know better, she would have suspected he was on something.

“You aren’t winning this one.” Jake continued.

“Do you even hear yourself?” Marcus asked with absolute disgust in his voice. “She’s not some game to be played Jake.”

“I know that!” He said taking another step towards Marcus, as Callie again put her hand on Marcus’s chest, pushing him back.

“Do you?” Marcus challenged, not willing to back down from Jake even though he knew that this was not the time nor place.

“Jake go, or do I need to call security.” His eyes shifted from Marcus to Callie as she continued. “Not so sure how well that will go over with the family court judge.”

Jake stared down at Callie for a moment before shaking his head and letting out a small laugh. He opened his mouth to say something, but to his credit, thought better of it and left without saying another word.

Callie watched him disappear down the hall before returning his attention to Marcus.

“Take a deep breath, Marcus.” Callie warned, knowing his internal struggle. 

“One of these days I’m..” he shook his head, trying to swallow down his anger.

“One of these days I’ll let you.” Callie interrupted, giving him a knowing look. “But right now you Abby needs you. She doesn’t need me. She certainly doesn’t need Jake. She needs you Marcus and you can’t be there for her if you get arrested tonight for assault.”

Marcus let go a quick exhale, knowing she was right. It took every ounce of strength he had not to follow Jake down the hall and beat the shit out of him for everything he had put Abby through over the last month. As much as he wanted to do it, and he did, he knew that Callie was right and this was the last thing that Abby needed to deal with at the moment. This was her place of work and it was bad enough that she had experienced this tragedy while on duty. Her new boy friend getting into a fight with her soon to be ex husband in the middle of the hallway would just make things exponentially worse.

“Follow the hallway down and take the next right. Go through the double doors. She’s in 1202. Last door on the left.” She instructed softly as she watched his eyes cut back down the hall.

“Go. I’m going to make sure he’s gone and then check in with Diyoza.” When he didn’t move, she tried again with a gentler voice. “Marcus, Go. She’s waiting on you. I’ll come check on you guys in a little while ok?”

Marcus nodded down at Callie before he turned and walked away.

By the time he finally found Abby’s room, his heart was beating fast again, but this time for a different reason. He didn’t know why he was so nervous, but he was. He had no idea what to say to Abby. They had walked down so many paths together over the years but this was new territory. He hadn't known about the last time this had happened. He had absolutely no idea how to help her through this. What if he said the wrong thing?

With a deep breath, he slowly pushed open the door, his eyes immediately scanning the darkened room for her. Abby’s back was to the door, her body barely illuminated by the dim light above her bed.Even though it hadn’t been his child that had been lost, it didn’t stop the searing pain that ripped through his body at the sight of Abby’s small body curled up in the large hospital bed. This was real. It had happened. Her worst fear had come true and she had lost the only bit of light that had come out of this awful situation. There was nothing he could do to fix it for her and he suddenly felt as numb as she looked. 

“Marcus?” She questioned in a hoarse whisper, instinctively suspecting it was him without looking.

“Yeah honey, it’s me.” He replied as he walked over to the bed, kicking off his shoes, and carefully slipping in the bed behind her.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her as he buried his head in her hair. He felt her release a shaky breath as her free hand reached up to hold his arm.

“I’m so sorry love,” he said in a low, gentle voice.

“We’ll get through this. I promise,” he reassured.

He felt her body begin to shake and his heart clenched.

“I wanted him so badly and I let him slip right through my fingers.” She said so softly that he almost didn’t hear her.

“Abby, this isn’t your fault.”

She didn’t respond and he decided not to push. He knew how badly Abby was hurting. Though he knew she had tried to remain detached, Marcus was also very aware that she had failed in her attempt. With every passing day, she had allowed herself to believe just a little bit more that maybe this time things would work out. He couldn’t get over how cruel it was for her to again be in this position. With everything else she was dealing with, it was all just so unfair.

As delicately as he could, he encouraged her to turn so that she was facing him. As she settled into his embrace, Abby looked up at him, her eyes swollen from the hot tears that were again burning down her face. She looked so lost, so hurt.

“It’s ok Abby, I’ve got you,” was all he could say before her face crumpled and she let out a single broken sob, burying her face into his chest. He had been able to hold himself together until that moment. She cried harder than he had ever remembered seeing before, harder even than she had that night when she had found Jake with Becca. It was more than crying, it was the kind of desolate sobbing that comes from a person drained of all hope. He wanted to say something, anything to try and offer her some reassurance, but a lump had formed in his throat making it hard to breath, so instead he just held her as she released her grief. He knew there was nothing he could do, absolutely nothing he could say to make the pain any easier for her and that realization alone hurt him more than he ever thought possible.

* * *

_One week later..._

Abby pulled her knees up into her chest, hugging her legs tightly as a cool breeze off the lake caused her to shiver slightly. As she dropped her head to her knees, she smiled softly as she watched the sun dip behind the mountains in the distance.She had spent the entire afternoon out on the deck reading, thinking… processing. It had been the first day that she had actually felt somewhat normal. She knew she was going to hurt for a long time, but for the first time in a week, she actually felt a little peace. As much as she hated to admit it, things were simpler now. There was no longer anything holding up the divorce from Jake. She could finally close that chapter and move forward. She didn’t have to figure out how to navigate her pregnancy with a man with which she no longer wanted any contact. She didn’t have to come up with a plan to share custody of a newborn. She hated that this had happened. She would have gladly navigated every issue if it had meant that she could have brought that little life into the world, but there was no denying that things were now easier. It was perhaps the only silver lining to the situation.

She heard the door open and turned her head to see Marcus walking towards her with a drink in both hands. He handed a glass to her as he took a seat on the swing, doing his best not to let the chair rock wildly with his added weight.

“How was your day?” He asked brightly, draping his arm over her shoulder and pulling her into his body.

“Well, I believe I’ve officially watched everything on Netflix at this point, so I spent my afternoon out here.”

“Everything huh,” he chuckled. “That’s quite a feat.” She took a quick sip of her drink before placing it on the side table and laying back on the swing, her head resting on his lap. “I missed you today. It’s weird being here all alone.” She said with a smile as one of his hands gently tangled in her hair and the other soothingly rubbed her arm. Marcus had spent the week home with her and it had been the first full day he had spent in the office. “I missed you too. I’m sorry I'm so late getting home.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. You are in the middle of a huge project. I know you have a lot to catch up on. You weren’t planning on being home with me.”

“I would have rather been here with you, trust me.”

“That bad?”

“We’re getting there, but there are so many layers to this thing. I spent the entire day trying to pick apart a sample of the transfer files that are taken back and forth from Wallace’s facility in Vietnam to the Honolulu office and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. There is some weird encryption that is piggy backed to most of the base coding. It makes no sense. It appears to be a way to protect the files on the drives, but there is more to it than that. It’s like there is embedded information but I can’t break the cipher yet.”

“Isn’t that Nate’s thing? Ciphers.”

The corner of his lips turned down as he nodded. “Yeah, he’s stumped too. Neither of us are ready to throw in the towel yet, but we have to crack this thing before we can figure out how to protect it. I’ve asked some of the techs at Wallace but no one seems to know anything about it. Every person I talk to sends me to someone else. Someone obviously installed it, but no one has any idea who. We may just need to start from scratch on how their information is coded but when I floated the idea, it didn’t go well.”

“So you’re telling me you are actually having to earn your paycheck for a change.” Abby paused to look at him for a moment before she started giggling. Marcus almost cried. She was laughing. Laughing! It was a small laugh, a chuckle really, but it was still music to his ears. It was the first time he had seen a true smile on her face in weeks. He started at her with a goofy grin, appreciating the moment. It was good to see her smiling again, even if it was just for a brief moment. Noticing the gaze he was giving her, she blushed slightly.

“Stop staring at me like that.”

“I can’t help it. You’re so beautiful when you smile.” He beamed down, looking at her with such depth that she finally had to look away. She turned so that she was facing out towards the water before he could notice the glassiness of her eyes.

With every passing day, she was starting to feel a little more like herself, but much to her frustration, her emotions were still very much out of wack. She knew that the fluctuations in mood had more to do with her body rebalancing her hormones than anything else, but she hated feeling so out of control. It frustrated her to no end that she could feel fine one minute and then some quick thought would bring it all crashing back down on her.

She didn’t understand how it could hurt this much. She had tried so hard to guard her heart, but even so, there had been no way to escape the deep sense of loss that had ripped through her those first few days. She’d lost it early, and yet the news has still been crushing and devastating. As the week went on, it still hurt, but the edge was gone. It had gone from being so painful that she had trouble breathing, to a dull ache and that made her feel guilty. She knew she needed to just give herself permission to be happy again, to try and move on with life, for Clarke and for Marcus, but she was having a hard time doing so. 

"You hungry?” Marcus said hopefully, breaking her from her thoughts.

She shook her head and even though she couldn’t see his face, she knew he was frowning down at her.

“Abby... you've barely eaten.”

Abby paused a moment before saying anything. He was right. Thinking back over the last week, she couldn't remember her last full meal. She usually just had a few bites of whatever Marcus was eating. She needed to take better care of herself. She knew this, but it was easier said than done. She had never been able to eat when she was upset.

“Please, you need to try and eat ok,” he encouraged gently.

Abby let a soft sigh escape her lips and nodded. “Ok, I’ll try."

Marcus couldn't help but smile at her response. It was small step but it was something. He knew there was still a long road ahead for her, but he was encouraged by the little indications that she was slowly coming back to him.

“Great, because I think I went a little overboard when I ordered tonight.”

Abby turned back towards him, slowly taking in his cheshiregrin. “I wanted to get something that might entice you to eat, but didn’t know what to get you so… I ordered like six different things.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “For the two of us? Marcus, that's a lot of food!”

"Well, I didn't know what you were in the mood for. I wanted you to have options."

“Where did you go?”

“Roans.” He said brushing a lock of hair off her cheek as a lustful smile danced across her face.

“Did you get french toast sticks?”

“Of course..” He replied quickly, “and steak, and a pear gorgonzola salad, oh and that chicken souvlaki platter you like with the pita and tzatziki.”

“You’re too good to me.” 

He grinned down at her as another shiver moved through her body. He let go of her just long enough to shimmy his jacket off his body and drape it over her. With an appreciative smile, she pulled the jacket closer to her body and closed her eyes as his thumb began to stroke her forehead.

He had always loved holding her like this. She always looked so peaceful and he reviled in the warmth of her body, the softness of her breathing, the way her hair fell loosely over her shoulders. He loved every thing about her and somewhere in the back of his mind he tried to push away the fact that he would be leaving in two short weeks.

“Let’s go somewhere.” He said somewhat suddenly, causing eyes to open and look at him with curiosity.

“What? For dinner?” she questioned. “I’m pretty sure you have that covered.”

He shook his head.

“No, I was thinking.. If Jake has Clarke through the weekend, how about you and I go somewhere? Just for a change of scenery. You’ve been stuck in this house all week.”

She tilted her head as she considered the idea. It was true, she hadn’t left the house in a week, and it would be nice to spend some quality time with him before he had to leave.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Hmm, let’s see.” Marcus hummed as his thumb resumed it circular pattern on her forehead.

“We could take the boat out and spend the day on the lake, or we could book a little place by the ocean. We could drive up to Napa or Sonoma.. spend the entire day drinking wine and eating chocolate in bed.

“I thought we were allowed to eat in bed.” She teased.

“For you love, I’ll make an exception.” He brought her free hand up to his mouth and dropped a quick kiss to the inside of her wrist. “Besides it’s not my bed." He bit back his grin as he beamed down at her. "I don’t care what we do. I just want some time alone with you before..” He trailed off as the corners of his lips dropped. 

“Before you have to leave.” She sadly finished. He exhaled as he nodded.

“Are you up for it?” He asked hopefully.

“Sure. Yeah, I think so. That sounds nice and the distraction would probably do me a lot of good.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“God, I have no idea," she answered honestly. "Surprise me?”

“Wow, you’re giving me control," he questioned as his eye brows shot up. "That may be a first." She playfully smacked his hand as she giggled up at him. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“Ok, I think I have a few ideas.” He said warmly as he returned his gaze to the lake. The last rays of sun finally disappeared and the sky started to darken above them. "I'll do my best to be home by noon tomorrow. We'll get an early start on the weekend." She nodded as she too looked up at the night sky. The sound of her stomach growling finally broke the silence of the moment, causing a warm chuckle to escape Marcus’s lips. “Come on, lets get you warm and fed.” She smiled shyly as he encouraged her to sit up. As he got to his feet, he turned and offered her his hand. She accepted but as she she stood, she didn't move towards the house. Instead, she stepped back into his body, snaking her arms around his waist. He knew that she just needed him, to feel his arms around her, knowing that she was safe in his arms. He dropped a quick kiss to her head, happy to be that strength for her. He would hold her as long as she needed it. It was an easy thing to do for the woman that he loved. Truth be told, he needed to feel her in his arms too. He tried not to think about how little time they had left before he would be gone. He hadn't let his mind focus on it much. He couldn't imagine what it was going to be like not to see her everyday, not to have her by his side at night. The next weekend was going to be spent prepping for his trip and Clarke would be back home by that point. This was the only time they had left alone together. He didn't know what they were going to do, but he was determined to make it as special for her as possible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else ready for Jake to just disappear? Up next, Marcus takes Abby out of town in an attempt to help her relax.


	19. Weekend Getaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby head to the mountains for a weekend of solitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mature rating on this one.. Not for our younger friends.

“Are you really not going to tell me where we’re going?”

Abby pouted as she glanced over at Marcus.

They had been in the car for over two hours now and all she knew was that they were heading west towards Lake Tahoe. The anticipation was killing her.

“It would kind of ruin the surprise if I did.” Marcus said flatly, trying his best to hide his amusement at her frustration.

“I hate surprises,” she muttered under her breath.

“You don’t hate surprises.” He challenged with alopsided grin, “You hate not being in control. There’s a _huge_ difference.”

Abby pretended to be offended, but couldn’t hide the way the corner of her mouth turned up at his assessment. He wasn’t wrong.

“Almost there, I promise,” Marcus added lightly, glancing over at her with a mischievous grin.

She studied him for a moment, temporarily mesmerized by the image of him. Though Abby had spent more than two decades of her life with Marcus by her side, sometimes it still struck her how truly handsome he was. She had always found him to be a good looking man, but with each passing year, he seemed to grow more and more attractive.

_Maybe it’s the beard_ , she mused as she continued to observe him. He had been growing it out over the last few months and if she was honest, she was completely in love with it. The way it softened his face and brought out the warm chocolate brown of his eyes, the shape of his boyish smile.

He had tried to shave it off a few weeks before but luckily she had walked in on him as he was contemplating the change. When she asked why he wanted to shave it off, he had muttered something about the salt and pepper coloring making him feel old. She had frowned at his assessment, running her fingers through the coarse hair as she corrected that the word he was looking for was distinguished or fucking hot, but definitely not old. He hadn’t been impressed with the distinguished comment, but grinned like a little boy on Christmas as she continued on, telling him how much she enjoyed the feeling of it on various parts of her body.

Feeling eyes on him, Marcus turned and looked at her.

“Stop ogling me and tell me what’s on your mind.”

She blushed as he peeked over at her with an amused smirk. “Nothing, I’m just… This was a good idea. I’m glad you suggested it.” His right hand drifted to her knee, giving it a quick squeeze.

“Even if I won’t tell you where we’re going?”

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” She quipped as she glanced down at her phone and frowned.

“Sorry, not much cell service up here, but we will have wifi so your texts will still come through. Don’t worry, I know better than to completely cut you off from the outside world.”

He smiled over at her, knowing that being available to her daughter would be her first concern. She nodded as she dropped her phone back to her lap and turned her attention back to the scenery around them. They had gotten off the interstate about an hour before, following a four lane road until it finally dwindled down to two. For a Friday afternoon, she was surprised at the lack of cars on the road, though she was thankful not to be stuck in traffic. When she had put Marcus in charge of their weekend destination, she had honestly thought he would pick the ocean, but the more she thought about it, the mountains had definitely been the better choice. The end of the summer had arrived and the beach would have been full of people trying to get in one more weekend of sun and fun before the temperatures started to dip. As much as she loved the ocean, she wasn’t in the mood for people. She warmed at how well Marcus knew her and how effortlessly he seemed to anticipate her needs. _I’m so damn lucky._. she mused, stealing one more quick glance at him before returning her attention to the trees outside her window.

She hadn’t been up to this area of the state in years and had forgotten just how beautiful the Sierra Nevada area was. She didn’t know where exactly they were going, but as she watched the late afternoon sun peeking through the branches of the trees towering above them, she realized that she was already more relaxed than she had been in a very long time.

“I almost booked a place at the coast,” he said pulling her attention back to him, “but I just thought, with everything going on lately, the two of us deserved a bit of a break, some time to ourselves away from everyone and everything. Two days alone, no cell phones or laptops, no distractions, just you and me.”

She reached out, threading her fingers with his on the gear shift. “I can’t think of a better way to spend the weekend. You did well.”

“You don’t even know where we’re going yet,” he grinned, a light chuckle falling from his lips.

“It doesn’t matter. Two days alone with you. It’s perfect.”

A few minutes later, Marcus turned off the two lane highway and onto a long narrow driveway that lead deep into the woods.

“Are we here?” She questioned, sitting up a little higher in her seat and looking out the window hopefully. 

Marcus let out a soft chuckle as he nodded, pulling up to a beautiful cabin completely surrounded by tall Douglas Firs and Ponderosa pines.

Reaching to the back seat, he grabbed a jacket for each of them and quickly pulled his on before climbing out of the SUV and making his way over to open the door for Abby.

She stepped out onto the gravel driveway, her wide eyes locking with his for a moment before drifting back to the cabin. She pulled her jacket a little more tightly around her slender frame as Marcus moved to the back of the vehicle to retrieve their bags. She was completely mesmerized by how secluded the place was. There wasn’t another structure in sight. They were completely in their own little world.

“Come on,” he said with a quick wink, walking towards the house and fumbling with the keys for a moment before pushing open the door.

“What do you think?” He questioned, already knowing the answer based on the look of completely disbelief on her face.

“Wow! This is…Marcus, it’s beautiful!”

“I thought you might like it.” He said dropping the bags on the wood floor before closing the door on the cold outside. The cabin had an open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, exposed timber rafters, and natural stone accents almost every where you looked. Abby’s eyes were immediately drawn to the warm rays of sunlight spilling in from the large wall of windows on the opposite side of the room. As she took a few more steps into the living room, she saw that just beyond the windows was a wood deck overlooking a small lake that she hadn’t noticed when they first pulled up to the cabin.

Marcus just smiled as she moved to the windows, gazing out at the flat, still water completely surrounded by trees.

“This is stunning. How did you find this place?” She asked, briefly glancing over at him before returning her attention to the water.

Marcus walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and dropping his head to hear shoulder.

“It belongs to Sinclair’s family. I actually forgot they had it. I haven’t been up here in years, but when I mentioned I was trying to figure out where to take you, he offered it. We got lucky. It wasn’t being rented this weekend.”

“It’s perfect.” She whispered, closing her eyes and melting into his embrace as he placed a lingering kiss to her cheek. 

“Come on. Our room is this way.” Marcus grinned, taking her hand in his and pulling her behind him. He had known that she would love the place and was eager to show her the rest of the cabin.

Abby followed him towards the stairs, but couldn’t help but glance back over her shoulder at the breathtaking view. Much to her delight, the bedroom also had a wall of windows looking out over the lake. He smiled knowingly at her as he flopped down on the bed and closed his eyes briefly in an attempt to relax for a moment after the long drive. She took the opportunity to explore the upstairs, walking from room to room and making note of the large whirlpool bathtub in the master bath. It was situated right next to a large window and offered a beautiful view of the snow capped mountains in the distance. Yes, she would definitely be taking advantage of that feature.

“You may never get me out of this place,” Abby teased as she returned to the master bedroom and walked over towards Marcus. Hearing her return, he sat up pulled her gently by the waist, a giggle escaping her lips as landed on his lap.

“From what Sinclair says, we shouldn’t see another living soul the entire time we’re here.”

“Oh yeah?” Abby hummed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She placed a kiss to his check before drying adding, “That’s too bad.” Her fingers stroked his beard and he closed his eyes enjoying the contact.

“Thank you. I love it.” she whispered, grateful that he had chosen such a secluded place for their last weekend together. Contentment flooded his heart at the confirmation that he had made the right choice.

“Are you hungry?” Marcus asked looking down at his watch and noting it was approaching 5:30.

“Think they deliver pizza up here?”

“No need, I had groceries delivered this afternoon.”

Her lips twisted into a smile as she shook her head at him, “Of course you did.”

“When have you known me not to be prepared?” He questioned with a smug smirk. "I'm not planning one going anywhere for at least 48 hours."

He gave her leg a quick pat before gently urging her up off his legs.

“Stay here, I’ll go get the bags. How about you unpack us while I go down stairs and get started on dinner?”

“Are you sure? I can help cook.” Marcus just shook his head at her. “I’ll make dinner and you can make breakfast. Sound like a deal?”

“Deal.”

* * *

After unpacking, Abby went back down stairs to find Marcus. She had managed to slip into the living room unnoticed, so she took the opportunity to observe him moving around the kitchen. A soft smile grew on her face as she watched him work. He was truly a skilled chef, moving fluidly between tasks, shifting his attention between cutting boards and steaming pots with ease.

She watched him dip down to check something in the over, before returning to the stove, dipping a wooden spoon into his sauce and tasting his work. He nodded slightly as he contemplated what was missing and then adding a few more pinches of this and than before putting the lid back on the pot. She didn’t know what he was cooking but it smelled amazing.

“There you are,” he said warmly as he looked up to see her leading against the wall, her eyes trained on him.

“Are you enjoying the show?” he chuckled, uncorking a bottle of wine and pouring some in a glass for her before refilling his empty glass.

“Immensely,” she grinned taking the drink and enjoying the earth liquid as it slid over her taste buds. As he returned to his duties, she picked up the bottle, nodded at his selection of a Clos du Val Three Graces Red.

“Smells great in here. Am I smelling garlic bread?”

“You are,” Marcus nodded knowing her love for fresh bread. “We still have about 10 minutes before we’re ready to eat. Would you mind setting the table?”

Abby happily obliged and by the time she had finished lighting some candles for the table, Marcus joined her in the dining room with a delicious platter of pasta.

“God Marcus, you’ve out done yourself!” Abby drooled as he set the plate down on the table and walked back to the kitchen to retrieve a salad and garlic bread.

“What are we having?”

“Linguine with spinach and sun dried tomato cream sauce.” He grinned, leaning over to refill her half empty wine glass.

As they started to eat, Marcus looked up to see Abby eyeing him over a forkful of pasta.

“What’s wrong? Do you not like it?” he questioned, totally misreading her expression.

“No, this is amazing. Are you kidding!”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just thinking how glad I am to be here with you,” she said taking a bite of her pasta before adding, “And how much I’m going to miss your cooking.”

“See, I knew there was a reason you kept me around." He saw the spark of sadness behind her eyes, knowing that she was already mentally picturing life with him thousands of miles away. 

She smiled softly as she nodded over at him, not trusting herself to speak. He understood and just reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. "I know."

* * *

Two hours later, Abby was out on the back deck, reclined in one of the Adirondack chairs, waiting on Marcus to return with another round of drinks. They had already finished a bottle of wine and she was feeling very warm and happy. She sighed contently as she stared out over the lake, the full moon above reflecting soft light on the wilderness around them. She couldn’t get over how quiet it was outside. Other than the occasional gust of wind shaking the trees or the periodic crackling of wood in the fire pit beside her, it was completely silent. No cars, no animals, no people…just silence. It was a welcome respite from the constant noise and chaos of her life.

Another breeze blew in from the lake, causing Abby to pull her legs up into her chest and wrap her arms around her body. It was starting to get a little chilly out, but she wasn’t quite ready to go inside. The view was just too good to pass up.Thankfully, she was bundled up in a large sweater and jeans, as well as a pair of thicks socks she had stolen from Marcus’s suitcase. Since he hadn’t wanted to disclose their destination, he had insisted on packing for her. She had been skeptical at first, envisioning multiple trips to a local mall to grab all the things he had missed, but she had been pleasantly surprised at the selections he had brought for her. Though she had laughed at the bras and panties he had selected for her. He may have been an unbelievably thoughtful and caring man, but at the end of the day he was still a man. The undergarments he had packed had clearly been more for his enjoyment than her comfort.

A few minutes later she heard a creek on the deck boards behind her, and she looked up to see Marcus approaching with two steaming cups of warm liquid.

“Hop up,” He said as he placed the cups on the side table. She did as he asked, and then watched as he stole her seat. She was about to say something, but then noticed the gleam in his eyes and understood his true intention.

“Was there something wrong with your chair?” She teased as she sat down between his legs.

“Yeah, you were all the way over here.” He quipped as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into his chest. “Easier to keep you warm this way.” He said in a low, husky voice, chuckling as he felt her shiver in his arms.

“You’re freezing. Do you want to go in?”

“Not yet. I’m not done staring at the lake.”

She snuggled into his chest, a sigh leaving her lips as she enjoyed the heat now radiating from his body.

“Besides, you’re doing a wonderful job of keeping me warm.

“Am I?” He hummed into her neck as his hands drifted down her body and down her thighs.

“Or, maybe it’s just your warm socks, or the fire, or maybe it's because of all the wine.”

Her last word came out as a shriek as Marcus started tickling her the longer she spoke. His fingers were merciless, targeting every ticklish spot on her body until Abby was a writhing ball of laughter in his arms.

"Stop," she pleaded as she tried to catch her breath. "You! It's because of you."

"What's because of me?" he asked, slowing his assault, but not releasing her.

"I'm warm and happy," Abby said, locking eyes with him over her shoulder. "You make me happy,” She added, the truth of her words so evident on her face that it took Marcus’s breath away.

As Marcus sat with Abby between Marcus’s legs, his arms wrapped securely around her, he thought to himself that life couldn’t get much more perfect than this. He looked down at her and found that her eyes were already on him. Full of so much love that he could hardly contain the overwhelming love he felt for her.

They had only officially been together for just over a month, and there were still times that Marcus couldn’t believe that it was real. That after years of suppressing his true feelings for his best friend, he was finally able to acknowledge and act upon his deep love for her. They were still working through the whole transition from friends to more than friends, but honestly it wasn’t that much of a change for them. The only real difference was that they no longer had to pretend that they didn’t feel the way they actually did.

It sounded silly but for Marcus, being with Abby felt like home. No matter what the situation, she had always been his constant, his shelter, the source of his peace, even when they were kids.He hadn’t recognized it for what it was back then, but as he looked down into her eyes, he realized that no matter what the future held for them, she would always be his home.

As Abby looked up at him with her round, amber eyes, he melted and leaned down, taking her lips with his. Abby let out a soft moaned and turned so that she was facing him, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. When they reluctantly parted to draw in deep breaths of oxygen, Marcus said, “You make me happy too. You always have.. happier than I deserve to be.”

Abby flattened her palm on his chest rubbing it in soothing circles as he smiled down at her.

“Marcus, I..” She stared up at him trying to find the right words. “Thank you for sticking with me through all of this craziness. I wouldn’t have made it through without you.”

“Of course your would have.”

“No.” She said with some firmness, “I wouldn’t have.” She stared up at him trying to figure out how to express what she wanted to say. Words didn't seem adequate to express her gratitude for everything he had done for her, not just over the past six weeks, but for as far back as she could remember. “People spend their entire lives looking for someone who will complete them, someone that will love them unconditionally, makes them feel safe and secure. I’ve never had to look for that because you’ve always been that person for me. How lucky am I that I’ve gotten to spend my entire life with you by my side. Marcus, You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I don’t know if I tell you that enough.”

"You are my life Abby.”

The feel of his hand rubbing gentle circles into the small of her back underneath the material of her sweater sent a flash of heat through her. Abby was a little surprised at her body’s response given the trauma of the last week, but she couldn’t deny that the more they touched each other, the more she didn’t want him to stop.

Abby turned her head slightly and adjusted the angle of her body parting her lips and deepening the kiss.

Marcus groaned softly, his heart rapidly beating in his chest as he slid his hand up her back, enjoying her soft warm skin under his fingers. He loved these moments with Abby in his arms. He had spent so long convinced that they would never make it to this point, but now that they had, he knew he was never going to let her go. 

The fire had dwindled significantly since he had rejoined her on the deck, the only light coming from the moon above.

As they continued kissing, Abby could feel his growing need for her but she also noticed something else, or more accurately a lack of something else. Normally, his hands were everywhere, hungrily taking her in as if it was their first time, every time, but tonight he was being a little too gentle with her, a little too reserved. She could sense his apprehension and she knew why. They hadn’t really discussed this particular component of her recovery and in that moment, she knew that she was going to have to take the lead.

She leaned into him and pressed a kiss to his cheek, moving her lips to his ear and whispering in a low throaty voice, “I think its time for me to properly thank you for taking such good care of me lately.”

A shiver ran down Marcus’ spine when the warm breath from her mouth hit his ear and all he could think was how fucking hot she was, even when she wasn’t trying.

He nodded his head slowly as he eyed her, “Oh yeah?” his voice came out strained, “What did you have in mind?”

Abby moved off of the chair and grinning as Marcus watched her movements with his hopeful eyes. She stepped in front of him and bent down enough to rest her hands on his knees. She held his gaze as she pushed them apart, stepping between them and leaning down to drop a light kiss to his lips.

Marcus’ eyes had darkened considerably, his heart racing in his chest as he watched her slowly drop down in between his legs. He swallowed heavily, as her small hands curled over his knees.

Abby could see the desire in Marcus’ eyes and arousal sparked inside of her just knowing that he wanted her. Her pulse quickened and she slowly rubbed her hands up his thighs, making quick work of the button before tipped her head indicating that she wanted him to lift up a bit.

Marcus stared at her for a solid minute not realizing how long it had actually been until he watched her arch an eyebrow and say his name with a hint of hesitation in her voice. He leaned forward covering her hands with his palm. “Abby…You don’t have to.. I mean it’s okay if you don’t want to..I.,” but he wasn’t entirely sure how to finish that sentence.

Abby’s brows drew together and she sat on her heels. “I.. do you not want me to?” She asked tilting her head as she looked up at him surprised.

Marcus saw the pensive look on Abby’s face and he could kick himself for being such an idiot. He squeezed her hand gently to bring her attention back to him and when she looked up at him he spoke. “I want you, anyway, every way. I just don’t want you to feel pressured into something that you aren’t ready for.” He told her honestly.

“I guess I just want to make sure,”

“First of all, I think you just secured your position as the absolutely sweetest man that has ever lived," she interrupted not allowing him to think for a moment this wasn't what she wanted, “And second, when have you ever known me to do something that I didn’t want to do?” She looked up at him with nothing but seriously on her face, before a grin finally appeared and her eyes twinkled. “Take off your pants Kane and stop ruining my fun.”

Marcus released a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding before relaxing and beaming down at her. As instructed, he lifted his hips slightly allowing her to tug his jeans down. He swallowed heavily when the material dropped and Abby shifted forward, her fingers sliding gently up his legs making him shiver. His stomach clenched and he felt himself rapidly hardening as her hands teased the material of his boxers.

“What do you want?” she breathed, her voice low and rough.

His head tipped back at her words, “You know what I want.”

“Tell me.”Abby’s tongue darted out of her mouth briefly, anticipation building inside of her. She shifted forward a bit pushing the bottom of his shirt up and then dipping her head down and brushing a kiss against the skin right above the waist band of his boxers.

“I want you.”

Marcus breathed in sharply, feeling light headed as all the blood currently flowing through his body went south.

“You’re fucking gorgeous, you know that? I should take more time than I do to tell you…every damn day…”

He glanced down at the pile of chestnut hair on top of Abby’s head, her warm breath skating against his skin, hands sliding beneath the material of his boxers and up his thighs. Fuck, he thought, she is the hottest woman in this entire goddamned world.

As Abby’s fingers teased the waistband of his boxers, she lifted her head and held his gaze as she tugged the material down. His hips once again lifting so she could get them down his body and when the boxes were at his ankles with his jeans Abby’s gaze dropped and a smirk crossed her face.

Marcus watched her, his body on high alert waiting to see what she’d do next. “What are you smirking about?” He asked softly, his voice rough with arousal.

“How easily I can turn you on.” She stated as she slid her hands back up his legs, one stopping at his thigh the other curling slowly around his erection.

Marcus snorted but the sound turned into a groan when her hands gripped his shaft. “Abby you’ve been turning me on for years. I don’t think that is every going to change.”

Abby sent him a contemplative look. “Fair enough,” she said as she stroked him slowly, her gaze still on his face. “Tell me what you want.” She said in a smoky voice, keeping her eyes on him as her hand continued moving in measured strokes his skin velvety and hard all at once under her touch.

Marcus’ eyelids dropped slightly as he nodded, one hand gripping the side of the chair as he watched her. “A little harder,” he breathed, “and..” his words were brought to an abrupt halt when Abby’s thumb moved over the head of his dick, spreading the pre-come there across the tip of him.

Abby tightened her grip slightly and shifted forward, “Like that?” She asked her strokes becoming just a bit harder. When he made a strained noise and nodded, her lips twisted in a satisfied grin. Her grip on his thigh tightened and she held his gaze for another moment before dipping her head down, darting her tongue out and swirling it around the tip of his cock. The sound that left Marcus’ mouth in that moment ignited a level of desire in Abby that she’d honestly never felt before.

Abby went slowly at first taking her time to lower her mouth on him until she couldn’t fit any more of him in her mouth, her free hand wrapping around the base of his cock, pumping him with shallow movements as she slid her mouth almost completely off of him before once again moving back down.

Marcus was breathing heavy at this point, he couldn’t help it. He fought the urge to close his eyes because Abby was between his legs, her beautiful head bobbing up and down. He didn’t want to miss a minute. He had fantasied about this more times than he cared to admit, though his mental image was nothing compared to the real thing. He hesitated a minute before dropping his hand into the bun on her head and gently pulling the elastic from her hair, sending her chestnut locks down in a curtain around her face. “Fuck Abby,” he groaned not entirely able to stop his hips from moving up as she continued to devour him.

Abby smiled around him when he moaned, the sound making her stomach clench with arousal as she increased the speed of her movements, tightening her mouth around him and swirling around the sensitive skin of his cock. She unwrapped her hand from the base of his dick and slipped it down cupping his balls in her hand and massaging them.

The feel of his hand tangling in her hair only encouraged her on, making her work harder to get him off. She felt his hips starting to move and when Abby shifted slightly and chanced a look at his face she could see he was straining not to jerk his hips upward into her mouth. She appreciated it but she also didn’t want him to hold back with her. She gave his balls a gentle squeeze and the action made him thrust up making her pause.

“Fuck,” Marcus’ eyes shot open, “I’m so sorry Abby,” he panted but when he caught her eyes he saw the hint of mischief. It took him less than a second to realize she’d done it on purpose and he studied her face for a moment before rolling his hips up into her mouth carefully.

Abby slid her mouth down again and she could feel Marcus’ thighs quiver slightly as she held onto him. He was close, she knew his signs at this point. Marcus was doing his best to distract himself from the feel of Abby’s warm mouth devouring him like a goddamned goddess, not wanting it to end so soon, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to last much longer. His hand was tight in her hair and his hips were rocking against her face, pleasure building inside of him as a tingling started in the base of his spine.

Marcus was right there he could feel himself cresting over the edge. Abby’s name fell from his lips and the next time she squeezed his balls he came with a grunt. She sat back on her heels and grinned at the look over absolute bliss on his face. Once he was able to breath again, he reached out and stroked the side of her face. “Thank you. God, that was..” She grinned up at him, enjoying that shehad left him speechless.

“That was better than anything I could have imagined.” He breathing as he brushed a thumb against her cheek. “But you know what time it is now right?” He asked.

Abby angled her head to the side, “Star gazing?”

Marcus shook his head, “Not quite.” He reached forward snaking his arm around her and tugged her body towards his bringing her flush against him, making a soft noise fall from her mouth. He grinned and turned his head so his mouth brushed against her ear. “It’s my turn,” he whispered before kicking off his pants and standing.

Abby's heartbeat picked up speed as she held Marcus’ gaze. “But…I thought you were going to bore me with all the constellations you know.” She said anticipation coursing through her body.

Marcus caught the hint of desire that sparked in her eyes and he smirked. “Oh they’re boring now, are they?” He replied dipping his head down and capturing her lips in a long drawn out kiss before reaching down and lifting her body and wrapping her legs around his waist. “You’ll pay for that my love.” He said turning back towards the house, not caring one bit if any one had just seen the show or if anyway was watching his bare ass retreat into the house with the love of his life in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things have been a little dark lately. I think you'll agree, they both needed this.


	20. Lost in the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby spend the day exploring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. Life has gotten a little crazy lately. Thanks for sticking with me!

The sun was just starting to creep above the horizon when Abby woke. The temperature had dropped significantly in the room over night making her shiver as she tugged on the blanket. Of all the things she loved about sharing a bed with Marcus Kane, his tendency to be a blanket hog was not one of them. With a soft sign, she gently tugged at the blanket, doing her best to cover her body with the heavy warm comforter. A moment later, she felt the bed dip towards her and a warm hand slide up over her hip, wrapping around her abdomen and gently pulling her back. She closed her eyes as she felt Marcus nuzzle her neck, dropping kisses on the back of her shoulder.

“You’re cold,” he mumbled sleepily shifting his body to fit to hers. “Come here, let me warm you up.”

She smiled softly, knowing if they started down that path they would never make it to their hike.

“I was just getting ready to go down and make some coffee.” She turned to face him, her leg sliding over his hip as her hand drifted up to his face.

“In a minute,” he murmured even though it was very clear that he was in no hurry to move from their entwined position.

The only things on her skin were the soft, warm blanket and him and if they were to spend the rest of the day in that position, would it really be that bad?

As she watched his eyes drift back closed, a contented sigh leaving his lips, her heart warmed. She didn’t know exactly when it had happened, but waking up in his arms had become her new favorite thing in the entire world. She tried not to think about all the mornings they would be apart over the coming months. Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she snuggled into his body, feeling the warmth of his arms around her waist, the smell of his skin, watching the soft morning light bringing out the reds of his beard. It was so tempting to fall back asleep wrapped in his embrace, but she knew if they didn't get out of bed now, they probably wouldn't.

“Marcus..” Abby yawned as she gave a quick pat to his arm. “We need to get up.”

“Not yet.” He let his hand start to drift up and down her back, finally letting his hand rest over her ass.

“I want something else first," he groaned, gently squeezing the soft skin.

“Oh yeah,“ Abby laughed as she felt him grab her, flipping them over so that he was hovering over her.

“I thought I was supposed to make breakfast." He giggled as he planted a kiss to her lips. "And I seem to remember something about getting an early start for the hike.”

“Need to work up my appetite first.” Her breath caught in her throat as he dove into her neck, kissing and sucking the soft skin.

“This was your plan, wasn’t it? To stay right here all weekend.”

“Hey,’ he lifted his head, “We were outside last night.”

She blushed as her mind replayed the previous evenings activities in her mind.

“Besides, what’s wrong with staying right here for the rest of the weekend?”

She closed her eyes as he resumed his previous activities slowly moving from her neck down to her exposed chest. “Oh I didn’t say I had a problem with it.” she hummed, knowing that they weren’t going anywhere any time soon.

* * *

It was almost 10:30 by the time they made it downstairs. After breakfast, they had quickly packed a backpack with some snacks and water and by Noon, they were on their way. Though it had been years since he had been there with Sinclair, he remembered a specific trail that slowly meandered down the mountain side to the lake. He had scouted it out the night before and it seemed clear enough for them to follow. It wasn’t the strenuous trails that he preferred, but it was a good fit for Abby. It wasn’t that she wasn’t athletic, she was, but she had never truly been a nature girl, much preferring the beach to the woods. The goal of the weekend was to help her relax so the decision was easy - slow and scenic it was.

Abby had followed him dutifully to the trailhead, happy to follow him where ever he led. He had always felt at home in the woods, like some deep rooted connection coded deep into his DNA. Even without a map or his phone, she trusted him not to get them lost in the vastness of the area.

As they made their way down the path, she turned her head up to feel the warm rays of sun on her face. With how cold it had been that morning, she had been sure that she would spend the day shaking and shivering. She had been so happy to be wrong and much to her surprise, it had gotten so warm out that piece by piece she pulled away layers until she was down to her tank top.

While they were in no hurry, they did move at a steady pace down the path. Marcus had estimated they would need about 2 hours to get down to the lake and then another 2 to get back. With the wildlife in the area, he had insisted that they really needed to be back by sunset. She had readily agreed, having no desire to come across a bear or cougar on their little adventure. As they went, Marcus occasionally would stop to point out various birds of prey in the sky and obscure flowers hidden in the brush but other than that, they never stopped moving. There was so much to see, but the deeper into the woods they went, the more Abby couldn’t stop staring at Marcus. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t stop her mind from lingering on the fact that a week from tomorrow, he would be gone. The first leg of their separation was only going to be just over three weeks, but it seemed like an eternity at the moment. He had already loaded all kinds of apps on her phone and had set up various webcams around the house, so they could talk easily whenever they wanted. He had even bought Clarke her own little iPad mini so she could send him messages and FaceTime with him when she wanted. He had gone through so much effort to make this as easy on them as possible and she had appreciated his thoughtfulness. It wasn’t going to be the same as having him there with them, but it would have to be enough until they were together again.

As Abby continued to walk, she become so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear Marcus warn of the roots sticking up at their feet. Before she knew what had happened, she landed with a loud thud on the ground, cursing loudly as pain shot up her leg.

“Abby!,” Marcus turned back towards her, his face full of concern.

“Damn, are you ok?”

She nodded as she pushed herself into a sitting position, reaching for her left ankle that was still under the offending root.

“Yeah, sorry, I just wasn’t looking.. OUCH!” She hissed as his hand touched her ankle trying, gently freeing it from the root.

“Can you move it?”

Abby nodded, tears stinging her eyes. She made small circular motions with her foot before reaching down and pulling up her pant leg. 

“Probably just a sprain. God, I’m so stupid.” she winced. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Too busy enjoying the view.” He said wiggling his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes at him as she shifted into a better position.

“Let’s get your shoe off.. Take a quick look.”

He sat down next to her pulling her left foot up onto his lap before carefully unlacing the shoe and pulling it from her foot.

He didn’t have to be a doctor to see that her ankle had already doubled in size.

“Well, that doesn’t look good.”

“It’s ok.” She murmured looking down and assessing her injury. “Just give me a minute. I think I can keep going.”

Marcus looked at her like she was crazy. “There’s no way, Abby. It’s too swollen.”

“Just help me up,” she huffed, her hands moving behind her to help give her some leverage to stand.

He helped to her feet, but she only took a one step before she hissed in pain.

“Abby, this is ridiculous, you can’t walk.”

He helped her sit on a downed tree near by as he took her shoe and slipped it into his back pack.

“What are you doing?” She asked, wondering how he expected her to continue without her shoe.

“I’ll carry you the rest of the way. The lake can’t be much further. We’ll stop for lunch and then see how you’re feeling.” He stated matter of factly handing her the back pack. “Piggy back ride, come on!”

“You’re joking, right?” Abby huffed not believing that he actually intended on carrying her the rest of the way down the mountain side.

“I’m dead serious Abby. You can’t walk and I’d rather eat by the water than in the middle of the woods.Too many bugs.”

“I’m too heavy.”

He shot her a look of disbelief “Are you staying I’m not strong?” He laughed, lifting his arms and flexing his biceps at her.

“No, I’m saying you aren’t twenty anymore.”

“Hey! These things aren’t just for show.”

“Marcus..” she whined shaking her head.

“After all I do to keep myself in top physical shape for you!” He teased.”Come on, It’ll be fine. Pretty sure I bench more than you weigh on a daily basis. This will be faster, trust me.”

She stared at him for another moment, shaking her head as he did his best weight lifting impressions. “You know you want to ride this.” He chuckled as he moved over to her and placed a kiss to her lips.

“God, you’re ridiculous!”

“Come on,” he repeated offering his hand to her.

“Fine, but if you hurt your back, not one word.” She bracing herself on a nearby branch as he squatted in front of her. Once she was on his back, he wrapped his arms under her legs, making a show of how easy it was to move with her on his back.

“See? Easy! It's just like when we were kids. You comfy up there?”

“Never been better,” she huffed as she dropped her head to his right shoulder. "This is ridiculous."

* * *

Marcus had been correct and within fifteen minutes they had found the edge of the lake. After finding a clear, dry area, he gently deposited her down on the ground, plopping down beside her and laying back on the sand breathless.

“You ok?” she questioned, knowing that he was hurting more than he was going to admit. He simply nodded, reaching over for their bag and pulling out two bottles of water. He offered one to her before quickly consuming the other, thankful that they had packed a few extras, ‘just in case.’

As she drank her water, she noticed Marcus’s eyes drifting down her leg, silently assessing her.

“Stop,” she warned, not giving him a chance to say anything. “I just need to elevate it, take some Advil, and ice it when we get back. By tomorrow, I’ll be as good as new, assuming we can get back to the cabin.” She frowned. “I’m sorry Marcus. I should have looked where I was going.”

He sat up and gave her a quick pat on the knee, “I just need a little break. I’ll get us back.” She shifted her body and as her leg moved, she cringed, a hiss leaving her mouth before she could stop it.

Not missing a beat, Marcus began stripping off his sweater, quickly rolling it up, and placing it under her ankle. “Better?” he offered wishing there was more he could do to make her comfortable.

“Much. Thank you.” She leaned into his body, “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

"Oh yeah? What did you have in mind to replay me for being your person pony?" 

She leaned her head on his shoulder as her hand moved to his upper thigh, drawing small circles on the rough material of his jeans.

“Well, maybe when we get back, we break in that hot tub?” She let her hand wander up his thigh, making him groan at the suggestion. He leaned down to capture her lips, but before he could deepen the kiss, a happy squeal echoed out over the lake. They broke apart at the sound, turning and surveying the deserted beach. After a few moments, they finally saw a young family emerge from the tree line. The first to appear was a young boy that could not have been much older than Clarke. He had curly brown hair and was running with a wide smile away from a tall slender man that Abby assumed was his father. Shortly following behind was a tall redheaded woman with a small baby strapped to her chest, looking tired and weary. 

“So much for being alone,” Marcus mumbled, placing a quick kiss to Abby's lips before getting to his feet.

“Bet they’re lost." Marcus grumbled as he put a smile on his face and waved to the man. Abby tried not to stare, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from drifting to the small infant strapped to the woman’s chest. Her heart tightened in her chest and she started to rapidly blink her eyes to disperse the tears that were already starting to gather. _Damn it. Get ahold of yourself_ , she exhaled, thankful that Marcus was too far away to hear her.

“You have no idea how happy we are to see people!” The younger man exclaimed, quickly closing the distance between them and offering his hand to Marcus.

“Are you lost?” Marcus chuckled, noticing the weary expression on the woman’s face.

“We just got a little turned around."

"Three hours isn't a little turned around Brett!" she huffed, gently bouncing back and forth to soothe the infant that was starting to stir. "Just call it what it is. We're lost. Can you help us?"

He man frowned back at his wife. "We’re staying in a cabin off Oak Grove. Followed a trail down, but it wasn’t well marked and we lost it. We tried to call for help, but there’s no service.”

He looked down at Abby. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt your lunch.”

“It’s ok,” Abby replied softly, doing her best to smile brightly at the couple.

“I’m Brett. This little guy is Grayson.” He tussled the boys hair before turning to his wife. “This is Cara and the little bean is our new little one, Alexis.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Marcus and this is Abby.”

“Are you ok?” the woman asked, noticing Abby’s elevated foot that was visibly bruised. “Looks like you’re having a bit of a rough day too.”  
Abby nodded with a small cringe. “Tripped on a root.”

“Yikes! I may have some Advil if you’d like,” 

Thank you, that would probably help tremendously.”

As the women talked, Marcus walked off with the man, trying to help him get his bearings.

Cara dropped her bag to the ground before sitting down next to Abby. She released the baby from her harness and placed her between her knees as she unzipped the bag and started to dig for the bottle. 

Abby’s eyes drifted to the tiny infant, a sad smile growing on her face as the little baby stretched and blinked her eyes, obviously not happy at being disturbed.

“She’s beautiful,” Abby reached out to stroke the little girls exposed foot as the woman beamed down at her child.

“How old is she?” Abby asked, thankful that her voice didn’t relay the hurt that was starting to over take her body.

“Five weeks yesterday,” 

“And you’re out here on a hike. You’re a brave woman.”

“Yeah, someone thought it would be a good idea”, the woman said pulling a face as she continued to dig through the bottomless pit that was her bag. The baby started to fuss and she looked down at the little girl. "I know you were warm and happy. Hang on sweet pea. Actually, Would you mind holding her while I keep looking? I know it's in here somewhere.”

Abby hesitated for a moment before accepting the infant from the woman and gently tucking her into the crook of her arm.

“Oh, she likes you.” The woman grinned seeing her daughter smile up at Abby. “She normally doesn’t like strangers holding her. You must have children of your own?”

Abby nodded, “Yes, I have a five year old at home.” She stroked the little girl’s cheek, eliciting a small excited squeal from the little girl. Abby was able to keep a soft, warm smile on her face, but inside she was breaking into a million pieces. She tried to push the thoughts of what could have been from her mind, but she was rapidly losing the battle and she felt a single tear slip down her cheek.

With a triumphant smile the woman turned back to Abby shaking the bottle in her hands. Upon seeing Abby’s pensive expression however, she paused.

“Are you ok?”

"Yeah," Abby quickly offered the baby back to her mother, trying to hide the emotions ripping through her body. “Sorry,” she laughed softly, trying to play off the moment. “My daughter is getting so big. I forgot what it’s like to hold such a tiny little baby. I don't even remember her being this small. ”

The woman seemed to buy her explanation and smiled down at her daughter, making a face at the little girl that in turn caused a small smile grow on her little face. “Oh my goodness, Yes! I didn’t realize how big my son was getting until we had her. It goes so fast doesn’t it?”

Abby nodded, “It does.” She reached out to touch her small hand. “She’s precious. Enjoy her while she’s tiny.”

The woman beamed. “You said you have a five year old. Are you guys planning on having any more?”

Abby was a bit caught off guard by the question, her eyes flicking over to Marcus. “I’d like to, but we’ve had a bit of trouble,” Abby swallowed, not trusting herself to continue speaking.

The woman seemed to understand and thankfully didn’t push any further.

“Cara, I think Marcus here has put us back on the right path. See that water tower up there,” He pointed to a small blue structure up on the hill. “That’s close to where we parked. As long as we keep that in sight, I think we’ll be ok. You ready to try again?” The woman laughed as she strapped her daughter back to her chest and stood with a small groan.

“I’m not sure why I trusted him to take us on a hike,” she whined. “He’s a total city boy.”

Abby laughed, understanding what she meant. Unlike Marcus, Jake had never been comfortable in nature and she could only imagine the frustration the woman felt traipsing through the woods with her two small children.

“It was nice to meet you Abby.” The woman said reaching out to shake her hand. “Hope you feel better!”

“I really appreciate the Advil.” Abby smiled sincerely, doing her best to control her breathing.

“Hey, I’m going to walk with them just to make sure they start off correctly." Marcus added, walking over and patting the younger man on the shoulder. "Are you ok for a few minutes?”

Abby nodded and then watched as Marcus moved back down the beach with the family. Out of nowhere, a flurry of pings came from her back pack. The cell service had been intermittent at best but with the open area, she assumed that her phone must have locked in on a tower somewhere nearby. She quickly retrieved her phone, touching the screen and immediately frowning down at the device. “What the hell?”

With a quick swipe, she unlocked her phone and began to read the message but before she could finish, Marcus had dropped back down beside her and grabbed his sandwich. “Everything ok?” He questioned between bites, noticing that she quickly closed the screen and dropped the phone back in her bag. “Yeah, there must be a cell tower somewhere around here. My phone started going off. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t Clarke or the hospital."

"All good?"

"Yeah, It was just Callie, something about a some hot dad she saw in the delivery room. ” She lied, hoping he wouldn’t press for more details.

“She’s never going to change is she?” He tutted as he finished his sandwich and put the trash back in the bag.

“Did you get your Advil?” He questioned, looking over at her when he didn't get a response. She seemed to be lost in thought and as he studied her, he couldn't help but notice the way her lips were pressed tightly together. She was breathing in slow deliberate breaths and exhaling slowing.

* * *

Though it had taken hours, and he had stopped more times than he wanted to admit, Marcus had managed to carry Abby all the way back up the mountain to the cabin. The walk back had been quiet, the only sounds being the birds in the sky, the crinkle of leaves under foot, and Marcus’s somewhat labored breathing. Abby had been extremely quiet since the beach and Marcus spent the bulk of the hike back trying to figure out why. He had tried a few times to get her to talk, but every time, she dismissed his question and assured him that she was just tired. He wanted to believe her, but the sudden shift in her demeanor had him convinced otherwise. He knew they had the rest of the night and when she was ready, she would talk to him, she always did, but it didn’t stop him from worrying about her.

After some ice and another round of anti-inflammatories, the swelling in Abby’s ankle finally started to subside. It was almost time for dinner and knowing that she wouldn’t be much help in the kitchen, he suggested that she go up for a bath. Marcus had offered to carry her, but she had assured him she could manage, insisting that he had carried her enough for one day. With a quick kiss to his head, she grabbed her phone and gingerly climbed the stairs.

While she was gone, Marcus had busied himself prepping dinner.

With classic rock playing in the back ground and a large glass of whiskey on the counter, he skillfully moved from task to task, sautéing, steaming, and baking until the entire house smelled so delectable that he knew Abby wouldn’t be able to resist the aroma wafting up the stairs.

It wasn’t until he finished searing the steaks in rosemary butter mixture that he looked up and noted how much time had truly passed since Abby had gone upstairs. “Probably fell asleep,” he chucked as he placed the meat on a plate to rest.After setting the table, he walked over the stairs and called up to her. He waited a moment but when he heard no response, he frowned and tried again. Nothing.

He let out a frustrated sigh knowing that he would have to go upstairs. His legs had really started to hurt since they had gotten back and every step felt like a knife was dropping into his thighs. “This is ridiculous. I can run a half marathon for Christ’s sake!” He huffed as he made it to the top of the stairs.

The door to the bedroom was closed when he reached the end of the hallway and as he pushed it quietly open, he expected to find Abby curled up on the bed. Instead, he found an empty bed and empty room. There was steam drifting out from under the bathroom door and he shook his head trying to figure out just how long the shower had been running to create that volume of steam.

"Abby?" He called through the door. "Dinner's ready." Again, he received not response. When Marcus pushed open the door, he could see Abby faintly through the thick steam that had filled the room. She was leaning against the glass wall of the shower, arms wrapped tightly around herself as her body shook. He cursed himself for not trusting his gut earlier. Something was definitely wrong. _Maybe it was seeing the baby today? This can't all be from her ankle._ He mentally ran the afternoon,trying to figure out what possibly could have taken her from happy to whatever this was so quickly.

Before he could give it much thought, Marcus started taking off his clothes, dropping them in a heap on the floor next to hers. He didn’t know if it was the best choice to intrude on her very private moment, but there was no way he could just walk away from her when she was so upset. He had never been able to. When she was hurting, it was his natural instinct to hold her, comfort her.

The sound of the door clicking closed behind Marcus, made Abby jump and turn towards him. Her eyes were red and swollen, her body trembling. Instinctively, she reached up to brush away the tears. She didn’t want him to see her like this and she was desperate to hide that she had just spent the better part of an hour crying so hard she almost couldn’t breath.

“Marcus.. I..” Abby tried to speak, the words catching in her throat, knowing there was no way to hide from him. Without speaking, Marcus moved to her, wrapping his arms around her and placing a quick kiss to her temple. He dropped his hands to her lower back urging her closer, but she remained stiff in his arms. He half expecting that she was going to push him away but after a moment’s hesitation, Marcus felt her give in and snake her arms around his waist. He felt her raise up on her tip toes and capture his lips with hers. The action surprised him and for a moment, it was like nothing was wrong. Marcus felt Abby’s fingers start to trail up and down his back as she slowly walked them back against the wall.

Her skin was wet and silky under his hands, making a fire started to grow with in him. It was so easy to get lost like this, to get lost in her. To kiss the water drops on her skin, chase the streams of water down her body with his mouth. It wasn’t until Abby reached down, taking him in her hand, that he came back to himself, remembering what he had just walked in on. He pulled back causing a frustrated moan to leave her lips at the loss of contact. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading for him to remain quiet, but she knew he was already trying to read her.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Abby whispered, her tone breathless. Marcus frowned down at her, not missing the desperation in her words.

“Don’t hide from me,” Marcus said, closing his eyes as she leaned inputting her lips on his chest, not ready to give up on her efforts. He could feel her tremble under his touch and knew she was trying to use the only weapon she had at her disposal to hide what was going on in her head.

“Abby..”

“Please just let me do this.” she murmured into his skin.

Abby’s hands dug into his hair and pulled. Her hands traveled across his shoulders, down his chest to his growing erection. She again captured his lips, kissing him so passionately that his heart started to race and his breath came out in shaky bursts. He didn’t want her to stop, but knew that they needed to talk. Despite his need for her, he just couldn’t bring himself to let her use him as a distraction.

“Marcus please,” she whimpered. “I don’t want to think anymore. I just need to get lost in something.”

With a deep breath, he pulled back and stared down at her. “Not like this..”

“Marcus..” Abby protested, her voice heavy and labored, her hands dropping to her sides in defeat. His name came out as a protest but it wasn’t the kind of protest that said she wanted him to leave her alone. He was well acquainted with her ‘leave me alone voice’ and there was not a hint of it at that moment. His name had left her mouth like she was scared.

Marcus let one of his hands come to her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. “Just talk to me. What happened?”

“Nothing happened,” she said flatly, her empty eyes barely meeting his.

“Well, that’s obviously not true or you wouldn’t be up here crying by yourself in the shower."

"I'm fine."

He let out a frustrated sigh as he frowned down at her. "If you aren’t ready to talk about it, that’s fine, but don’t lie to me. We don’t do that, remember?”

He felt her again stiffen in his arms and he instinctively released her from his body, taking a step back to look at her.

She let out a bitter laugh making Marcus immediately regret his choice of words. He had heard that tone from her before, but in his life, it had never been directed at him.

“Is that really what you’re going with?” she challenged, her tearful expression suddenly replaced with tight lips and narrow eyes.

Marcus blinked down at her, not understanding the shift that had just happened. He watched as a myriad of emotions swept across her face. She was clearly very uncomfortable and he briefly wondered if he should have just left her alone… Let her come to him when she was ready.

“I want so badly not to be mad at you. I want to believe it was because you wanted to protect me from something, but you've never keep things from me before. Well, maybe you have. I don't really know any more. You were the one person that never lied to me."

He looked at her with complete confusion, which seemed to only make her grow angrier. 

"Abby, what are you talking about?"

"I'm just so fucking sick of being lied to. Kept in the dark about everything."

"Who’s lying to you?” Her face hardened as she looked up to meet his eyes.

“Me?” His hands dropped to his hips as he tiled his head, his mouth falling open at her accusation. “Abby, I'm going to need you to fill me in a little here.”

“Really?” she dripped, her voice heavy and harsh. “Fine, I'll play along. Let me catch you up. Why don't you start by going out and getting my phone. You can read the texts that I just got from Aurora. You know, making sure there were no "hard feelings" about the two of you working together over the next few months.”

Marcus froze as the name left her lips, immediately knowing that he had monumentally fucked up.


	21. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Marcus get out of this one?

Marcus stared at Abby, panic settling behind his eyes, knowing there was no running away from this conversation.

“Abby, I was going to tell you.”

“Where have I heard that before?” Abby’s hissed, rolling her eyes as she tried to push past Marcus. He quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her escape.

“Don’t do that.” He scolded, “Not to me. I get that you’re mad Abby, but don’t compare me to Jake. It’s not even close to the same thing.”

“I appreciate you deciding how I should feel about it.”

He took a deep breath, knowing that losing his temper with her at the moment would only make things worse.

“Why keep that from me? If you weren’t trying to hide something, then why not just tell me?”

“Come on Abby, you know why.”

“No, I really don’t.” She glared up at him before finally pushing past him, grabbing a towel, and fleeing the bathroom. Marcus followed, hot on her tail. When he caught up with her, he reached out to grab her wrist pulling her abruptly to a stop. She spun harshly away from him pulling her arm from his hand. He saw the fire her eyes and stepped back, his face twisted in frustration.

“Talk to me.” he said softly, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. “Don’t run away, just talk to me.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and dropped her gaze to the floor.

“After everything that I’ve just been through, this is when you decide to start keeping things from me. I don’t understand.”

“Abby, it’s because of everything you’ve been going through that I DID keep it from you.”

He took a step towards her, doing his best to keep his voice soft. She didn’t move away which he took as a good sign, but she also didn’t look up at him.

“Abby, I never had any intention of keeping you in the dark, but it just wasn’t worth pissing you off until I knew how much of an issue it was even going to be. The IT world is small. You know this. Aurora may be many things, but she is a great programmer so it made sense that at some point we would run into each other. I had no idea she was working at Wallace until my last day in LA.”

“I could have handled it Marcus.” He watched as she finally looked up at him, relief flooding his system that she no long looked angry. She just looked hurt and that was an emotion he could work with.

“Abby, baby.. You are without a doubt the strongest person I know, but let’s be honest about this. At the time, I don’t think you could have been objective about it.” She looked away, knowing that if she kept looked at him, she would forgive him and she wasn’t ready to do that yet.

“I almost told you about Aurora that day in my office, but Abby you weren’t ok. You were far from ok. You hadn’t slept. The custody meeting had gone to hell. You were miserable and you looked one step away from a total breakdown. It just wasn’t the time to bring Aurora into the mix. I didn’t lie to you that night. I had intended on telling you everything. I was going to that weekend after you had gotten some sleep and were feeling more like yourself but then everything went from bad to worse.”

He frowned down at her, watching as she shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

“Abby, you can’t honestly tell me that you would have been objective about Aurora with everything else falling apart around you. Let’s be honest, you would have lost your mind and the last thing you needed was one more thing eating away at you.” 

It wasn’t until he put it in that context that she was able to calm down and really think about why he had done what he had. He was right.Everything had been spiraling out of control and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, the mention of Aurora coming back into his life probably would have set her off. Abby had been relieved when Aurora had exited Marcus’s life. She hated the pain it had caused him, but she knew that in the end, it was the best thing that could have happened to him.

Abby had been newly married to Jake and had just given birth to Clarke when Aurora entered the picture. At first, she had been happy for him, but as time passed, she saw Aurora for who she really was. To Aurora, Marcus was simply a conquest, a game to be played for her amusement and gain. She played a good game, but she didn’t love Marcus. She had one goal, to drain him for all she could and then use him as a spring board to a new position. Indra had tried to warn him, as had Abby, but much to their frustration, he had remained firm in his commitment to Aurora. Both women could see the train wreck coming, but there was no stopping it.

When Aurora had first set her eyes on the attractive, single Marcus Kane, CEO of ARK Security Technologies, she had been unaware of the depth of his relationship with Abby. She was used to easily gaining the affection of men, and it frustrated her to no end that she had to share Marcus with Abby. As she saw it, Abby was the only thing standing in the way of getting what she want and it became her goal to destroy that relationship.

Abby had never understood how Marcus hadn’t seen Aurora’s attempts to manipulate him. At the time it hadn't made sense, but now, knowing how long Marcus had been in love with her, the more his blindness to Aurora’s true nature had started to make sense. Marcus had been trying to fill the void that had been created when Abby married Jake. He had been trying to bury his pain by focusing on creating a new future, not the one he had grown up believing would happen.

Abby had never told Marcus, but Aurora had reached out to her a few months after she had walked out on Marcus, wanting to check on him, make sure he was ok. Abby had told her that he was fine, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing how badly she had hurt him, but truth be told, it had taken Marcus a solid year to get over her. He had dated a few women briefly in the time since, but nothing had ever moved beyond a few dates. Abby had always suspected that it was because he was scared to open his heart again.

When she had looked down and seen the messages from Aurora, telling her information that she didn’t know, it had pissed her off. She was mad at Marcus, but as she peeled the layers of her hurt away, she understood that her reaction really had more to do with Aurora’s potential return to his life rather than his omission of information. She trusted Marcus to be faithful to her. It never once entered her mind that Aurora would be a threat to their newly cemented relationship. She just didn’t trust Aurora. She truly had a talent of getting people to do what she wanted and the simple fact that she had reached out to Abby put her on high alert that Aurora was up to something. Surely, she had an angle she was trying to work in all of this. She always did. People like her never changed.Her appearance at this particular time with this particular project was all a little too convent.

“Abby..”

She finally looked up at him, his soft, warm voice pulling her from her head. “Please..I don't want to waste what little time we have left fighting with you.”

She wanting to be furious at him, but she knew that deep down that he was right and probably justified in what he had done.

“Abby, you know me. You know my heart. You know how much I love you. Have I ever hurt you?”

She held his eyes for a moment before shaking her head. “No, you’ve never hurt me.”

“I made a mistake Abby. You are absolutely correct in that. I fucked up. If that is what you want to hear, then I’ll own up to that. I fucked up Abby, I know I did, but I need you to trust that what I did, I only did with your best interests in mind, just like I have our entire lives.

“I don’t trust her Marcus.”

“I know you don’t but do you trust me?”

Her heart tightened in his chest at his question. “Of course I do.” She affirmed, her face crumpling as the final emotions of her hurt left her body.

“Abby, It’s going to be ok. I promise you, I’m going to do my best to keep her at a distance.” He gave a quick shake of his head. “I don’t trust her either but until I figure out what her game is this time, I’m just going to need you to trust me ok?”

“I’m still mad at you,” she mumbled as her lips twisted into a reluctant smile.

“I know and I deserve that, but I need you to forgive me on this one ok, Abby. I get one screw up every twenty years or so don’t I?” He smiled widely down at her, knowing that he had successfully diffused the situation.

“Why do I put up with you?” she teased as she stood up from the bed. He just nodded as he walked over pulling her into his embrace.

“I’m sorry Abby. It won’t happen again.”

“I know”

“Are we ok?”

She took a deep breath before looking up into his warm dark eyes and nodding. “We’re ok.”

He dropped a kiss to her forehead before pulling back and running his hands up and down her arms as a shiver moved over her body.

“Dinner’s ready. Why do you get dressed and when you’re ready come down and I’ll spend the rest of the night making it up to you.” There was a twinkle to his eyes that made a giggle escape her mouth.

“You’re hopeless.”

“I know.”

* * *

Two hours later, dinner had been consumed and the argument long forgotten. It was a testament to the strength of their relationship that she had forgiven him as easily as she had. If it had been anyone else, if it had been Jake, it would have take more than some honest words for her to move past the hurt, but Marcus had been right. He had never hurt her, intentionally or otherwise. Every action that he had ever done had been with her in mind, so it was hard to stay mad at him when he had just been trying to protect her when she was at such a low point in her life.He had promised that he would keep her in the loop as far as Aurora was concerned and for the time being, his promise was enough.

“Your turn,” Abby said, climbing back into the water and refilling their two small shot glasses before finding her seat across from Marcus. His lips twisted into a side smile as he stared at her long legs disappearing into the warm water of the hot tub, making her blush under the scrutiny.

“Do you still want to play or are you going to keep staring?”

Abby teased as her legs stretching out to reclaim their former resting spot on his knees.

“Sorry, I was just enjoying the view,” he slurred out, suppressing a chuckle as his hands dropped to her ankles

“God, this feels amazing,” she purred as she dipped her head back to rest on the edge of the tub.

“This doesn’t hurt does it?” Marcus stopped massaging her foot, remembering how swollen and painful her ankle had been earlier that afternoon.

“Told you, nothing some Advil and elevation wouldn’t fix. Keep going. That feels great.”

He continued to knead her soft skin as he pondered his next question. He didn’t know what had made them decide to play this juvenile game, but Abby had suggested it and he was never one to say no to her. 

“Ok, I have one. Never have I ever had sex in the shower.” Marcus chuckled knowing full well that they had crossed that off the list that morning. Abby gave him a quick shake of her head as she handed him a glass and they both took a shot.

“You know you don’t have to get me drunk to get me in bed right?” She refilled the glasses and leaned back, stretching out her arms and closing her eyes as the liquid warmed her body from the inside.

“Let’s go Griffin.” Marcus chucked as he watched her chew her lip, a look of deep concentration on her face.

“Don’t rush me. This is important.” He watched her for few minutes, his fingers drifting lazily up and down her foot until she finally smiled and opened her eyes.

“Never have I ever sent naked pictures of myself to someone…”

Marcus raised an eyebrow at her, shaking his head slowly as she waited for him to reach for his glass.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Abby said reaching over and downing her glass.

“Do I want to know?” Marcus questioned as he reached over and refilled her empty glass, noting how her cheeks were flushed.

“Probably not,” she giggled as she refilled her empty glass, “But if you play your cards right maybe you’ll find your self the lucky recipient of one while you’re gone.” She pressed her foot into his leg, making his eyes flick lustfully over to hers. She smiled victoriously as she felt the effect of her suggestion twitch against her foot.

“Ok, go and make it a good one. We need to catch you up.”

Marcus contemplated for a moment, "Never have I ever…called out the wrong name in bed.”

Marcus hesitated for a moment, to see what she would do. When she didn’t bite, he gave her a quick nod before reaching for his glass and quickly downing the liquid. Abby’s eyes widened, mouth pulling into a shocked oval. "Are you serious? Marcus Kane, you did not!” He smiled sheepishly at her, but remained silent.

“Who?”

“You don’t want to know.” He chuckled, mirroring her previous sentiment and refilling his glass.

“No, I really do.” She said eagerly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

He ran his hand down over his face, not believing he was about to admit this to her.

“Our favorite person.” Her hand shot to her mouth, as she giggled. “You called out Aurora’s name? With who?”

He shook his head, biting his lip, waiting and watching for her to put the pieces together.

A second later her eyes went wide.

“Oh! You were with her and called out someone else’s name? Marcus, that’s awful!”

He resumed massaging her foot as his eyes drifted up to the stars above them.

“Who’s name?” Abby pressed, not ready to let this juicy tidbit go quiet yet.

“Really Abby?”

“Yes, really! I want to..” She paused and took in his guilty look.

“Oh my God!” She laughed. “No wonder she hated me.” She shook her had at him as she laughed. “Just for the record, you would totally be sleeping in the car if that happened.”

“Won’t happen baby. You’re the only one I’ve ever thought about when I’ve uh.. let’s say been in that position.”

Her face warmed at his admission, a bolt of desire running through her knowing how deep and pure his love for her was. “Can we move on now?” He quickly offered, not wanting to linger too long in that memory.”

“Never have I ever gone skinny dipping.” Abby announced seeing him start to get lost in his head. She reached over to grab her glass but stopped when she saw him remain rooted in his spot.

“Really?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Never really had a good opportunity.”

“Oh we’re going to have to fix that.”

He watched as she shimmied under the water a little and a moment later, produced her navy bikini bottom in one hand.

Abby held up the scrap and grinned at him, waving it back and forth before tossing it onto the deck where it landed with a wet plop.

“You’re just trying to get me naked.” he murmured, watching with increasingly wide eyes as she reached behind to untie the strings to her top.

“Anything wrong with that?” She teased as she sat back with a triumphant grin.

Shaking his head, he reached down to yank off his trunks, tossing the wet material over the edge as she had done. “You’re such a trouble maker.”

“You like it and you know it.”

“Come here.” Marcus said in a low voice as Abby stood and moved towards him. Water trickled between the valley of her beasts causing a look of sheer arousal to grow on his face.

“Never have I ever wanted to make love to my best friend in a hot tub.” Abby bit her bottom lip as he guided her onto his lap, her legs straddling him. She could feel his hard cock pressed up against her but she denied him immediate entrance, wanting to take her time with him.

“Smooth,” she purred, her hands rubbing up and down his well defined chest, spreading warm water over his skin. Abby began to massage his shoulders and he closed his eyes, dripping his had back at the contact.

“I’ve always wanted to do this.” He murmured as she reached between them, a shy smile growing on her face as she felt him twitch with arousal in her hand.

“You’ve never had sex in a hot tub?” she hummed as her hand released him and she adjusted her position so that she could teasingly roll against him.

“That’s not what I said,” he growled in a low voice, his hands dropping under the water to find her ass and tugging her closer.

She pulled back for a moment and saw the smirk on his face. “Just how many fantasizes do you have about me Mr. Kane?”

His head dipped into the valley of her breast as he chuckled, peppering the soft skin with kisses as he admitted, “Enough to keep us busy for a while.”

Before she could respond, his hand dropped between her legs, making her gasp as he began to rub her clit. Her head dropped to his shoulder, soft moans escaping her lips as he buried one finger inside of her, and then another, pushing her closer and closer to the edge.

“I want you inside me, Marcus,” she half moaned, half whispered as she reached between them. His eyes closed as she wrapped her hand around his cock, stroking him a couple of times before lining him up. It was only when he opened his eyes, his dark orbs finding hers, that she finally dropped down, taking him in completely in one quick motion. “Fuck Abby,” he groaned, his eyes locking with hers. For a moment, she remained still, enjoying the way he stretched her, the coldness of the air against her hot skin, the bubbles around them. “Is this what you had in mind?” She whispered, leaning forward taking his lips in hers, as she lifted up until just the tip of his cock was still inside of her and then slowly sinking back down.

“Better,” he murmured as she pulled back, placing her hands on the ledge behind him to steady herself. As she slowly started to move on him, he took full advantage of the positioning, capturing one of her full breasts in his mouth and teasing her the way he knew she liked. It wasn’t long before she began to gasp and whimper. Her enthusiasm only urging him to continue. When he couldn’t take it any longer, he took control fo the pace, his hands tight on her hips, helping her move up and down at a blistering pace. As water began to splash over the side, he kissed every part of her that he could reach until she began clinching around him. Her head dropped to his chest as she came, a barely audible “fuck” leaving her mouth as he continued to move with erratic thrusts. It wasn’t long before he spilled into her, a loud grunt leaving his mouth making them both giggle as his voice echoed over the still lake.“God Marcus.” she laughed into his shoulder as his fingers ran up and down her spine. “That was..”

“So much better than I imagined.” He finished taking her mouth with his.As she sat back on his lap, he reached up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as his finger traced the contour of her cheek bone.

“You are absolutely beautiful…do you know that?” She closed her eyes leaning into his hand. “ You make me feel that way.” She whispered as she reopened her eyes and leaned in, resting her forehead on his.

“So…” she murmured, a coy smile growing on her face. “What are we going to do now?”

He chuckled as his hands moved to her waist.

“Well, I’m going to need a minute, but how about we get dried off and see if we can’t check something off your list?” She bit her lip at his words. “You can’t tell me that you don’t have some fantasies of your own tucked in that beautiful brain of yours,” he teased as his head dropped to place a lingering kiss to the swell of her breasts. She moaned at the contact as her face warmed, “I may have a few things that have crossed my mind.”

“Oh..” He hummed, his voice low and lustful. With a quick kiss to the top of his head, Abby moved from his lap, Marcus’s face frowning at the loss of contact. He watched as she slid out of the hot tub, retrieving a towel from the table across from the hot tub before turning back towards him. She shivered in the cold night air as she dried off. “How about you start a fire inside and we’ll see what we can come up with?” She smiled coyly at him as she turned back towards the cabin, dropping the towel from her body as she crossed the threshold.


	22. Departures and Suspecions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby spend their last week together and there seems to be a bigger issue waiting for Marcus at Wallace's HQ.

On the way back from the cabin, Marcus and Abby made a detour to pick up Clarke. Jake was supposed to keep her until Monday morning, but had texted Abby early Sunday explaining that he had to leave town unexpectedly for work. He apologized for the last minute change, but asked if Abby could pick her up early.

Though Jake did leave town a few times a month for work, the trips were rarely last minute. The timing of this “trip” made her wonder if he really was going out of town or if he had simply reached his limit with their daughter. After all, this had been the longest he had ever been solely responsible for Clarke and she didn’t doubt that he was ready for a break. She loved her daughter, but admittedly she was a handful. It wasn’t that she misbehaved, but much like her mother, she rarely was still for more than a moment. She really could be exhausting. Whatever the reason, Abby didn’t really mind getting her earlier than expected. It had been over a week since she had seen Clarke and she was ready to have her daughter back home.

With everyone back under one roof, life quickly fell back into a familiar pattern. In the morning, Marcus would wake Abby on the way out for his run. By the time he returned, she would be downstairs, showered and dressed for work, making breakfast for Clarke. He would give her a quick kiss and then retreat upstairs for his shower. Harper would arrive sometime around 7:45 and before leaving for the day, Abby would run a cup of coffee up for him, leaving it on the bathroom counter with a post it note beside it telling him that she loved him.

At lunch, Abby would always find Marcus waiting for her with some delicious treat he had picked up from one food trucks or cafes close to his office. The evening would always be spent together, just the three of them, watching tv, or playing games until it was time for Clarke to go to bed.Abby would get her bathed and ready for bed and then Marcus would read her a bedtime story and tuck her in. The rest of the night was reserved for them. They would often spend it either snuggled up on the couch together or in bed, kissing, touching, and making love until they fell asleep, their bodies entangled and their hearts full.

Things had been so delightfully mundane that they were almost able to forget Marcus’s looming departure.. Almost.

Sunday morning, both Marcus and Abby woke before the sun. Neither wanted to get out of bed, knowing that once they did, the preparations for his departure would begin. So instead of facing the day, they stayed wrapped in each others arms, talking, laughing, and trying to provide the other with enough pleasure to tide them over until they were together again.

Once Clarke woke, everyone showered and they headed out for breakfast at Roans. Clarke had ordered her favorite blueberry pancakes and hot chocolate, while Marcus and Abby had agreed to share a platter of french toast sticks and fruit, since neither really felt like eating. With breakfast checked off the list they had returned home. For the rest of the morning Abby sat on her swing watching Marcus and Clarke play together on the full size soccer goal Marcus has purchased for her. She couldn’t help but laugh every time she saw her tiny daughter attempting to jump up and touch the cross bar after “scoring” on Marcus. She knew that in a blink of an eye she would be able to do it, but for now, it just was adorable to see her try. She still didn’t quite understand why Marcus had insisted on real goal, but also knew there was no fighting it. When he had proposed getting something for her to practice with she had imagined a small little pop up goal, but looking back going big was such a Marcus thing to do. She still remembered coming home to find him in the back yard setting the monstrosity up.

“What? If she’s going to learn, she needs to learn on proper equipment” He had simply explained.

“What if she hates the sport?” she had teased, doubling over in laughter as his eyes went wide as if the thought had never even crossed his mind that it was a possibility.

After two hours of playing, it had really gotten hot outside and they retreated into the air conditioning to cool down and enjoy some cold water. Much to Abby’s delight, Clarke was visibly exhausted and all it took was one look at Marcus to understand that he had worn her out on purpose. As Clarke sat at the table picking at her apple slices, she started to fade. As her eyes started to droop, Marcus leaned in, grinning mischievous over at Abby as he whispered quietly into Clarke’s ear. Before Abby could ask what they were conspiring about,she watched her daughter give a quick nod to Marcus and then announce that she was going upstairs to take a nap. After confirming that he would wake her before he left, she happily disappeared upstairs, leaving Abby in shock and Marcus with a satisfied expression on his face.

“What did you promise her to get her to agree to that?” Abby laughed, knowing her daughter’s hatred for naps. Marcus just arched his eye brow dismissively as he moved towards her, not bothering to hide his intentions.

“Does it matter?” He teased, taking her by the waist and walking her back against the counter. Abby could already feel his desire for her hard against her hip, and as his lips met hers, a desperate moan escaped her mouth. They had less than two hours before Raven would be there to pick him up and suddenly, she too was overwhelmed with need for him.

"Well, when you put it that way.. " With a few quick tugs, she pulled his shirt from his waistband and pressed her fingertips under the light material, feeling the warm skin of his back. 

“I want you one more time before,” he muttered against her lips, unable to finish the thought. He released her lips and grabbed her hand lightly, moving backwards and pulling her with him.

“Please…”

* * *

“Call me as soon as you land.” Abby whispered, not trusting her voice to speak at a normal volume. She reached up straightening the collar of his polo as her hands drifted up to his face, cupping his cheek as his head dropped to hers.

“I will. I promise.” He exhaled deeply, dropping a kiss to her forehead and pulling her into his chest. “God, this is going to be so much hard than I thought.”

She just nodded into his chest, not yet able to speak.

“I’ll see you in two weeks.” He said smiling down at her, “And I’ll talk with you tonight.” Marcus reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling down at her with as much strength as he could muster. From behind, he heard a small sniffle and he turned to see his other favorite girl standing shyly in the hallway, her blue puppy tucked into her arm.

He gave a quick squeeze to Abby’s arms and then released her, walking over and kneeling in front of Clarke.

“Make sure you have a book picked out and we’ll read it together tonight before you go to bed ok?” She nodded sadly as tears started to gather in her eyes.

“I don’t want you to go Marcus.” She sniffled looking up at him with her big wet blue eyes.

“Hey, come here.” He pulled her into a hug as she cried onto his shoulder.

“No more of that.” He reached out and wiped the tears from her face.

“Do you remember what we talked about?”

She nodded softly. “I need to listen and not drive my mommy crazy.”

He let out a small chuckle at her synopsis of the conversation they had had earlier that day.

“Yes, please don’t drive her crazy, but more importantly, I need you to be a big girl and help look after your mom for me. Can you do that?” She nodded.

“Ok, sweetie, I love you and we’ll be together really soon. You remember how to use the iPad if you want to talk?”She nodded.

“Ok, why don’t you go play in the living room and let me say goodbye to your mom. We'll talk tonight ok?” She gave him a small smile before giving him another quick hug and reluctantly turning and leaving the foyer.

With Clarke taken care of, he turned back towards Abby, who was visibly struggling with her emotions. His heart ached at the sight of her. Knowing it was his last chance to do so for quite some time, he wrapped his arms around her, his face dropping into her neck as he felt her taking shaky breaths against his chest. Neither could talk. They just held on to each other, both unwilling to be the first to let go.

Marcus heard the door open and his eyes slipped shut, knowing their time was officially up. 

“Uh Marcus, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we really need to get moving. We still have to grab Sinclair and if we wait too much longer, we may miss the flight.”

He nodded softly, “Ok, I’ll be right there.”

Raven disappeared and he finally broke away with a huff. “Ok, If I don’t go now I’ll never leave. I love you!” He said staring intently into her eyes.

“I love you too.” Abby said reaching out and cupping his cheek one more time.

“Two weeks at a time. We can do this." He assured as he reached down and grabbed his shoulder bag. Marcus tried to offer her a warm smile, but all he could see was the pain on her face. No amount of makeup had been able to cover the dark circles under her eyes and the redness of her nose.

Outside, Raven started the car and Marcus climbed into the passenger seat, his eyes immediately finding Abby once his seatbelt was fastened. He gave her a small smile and held her gaze as the car started to back out of the drive way. A moment later, they were gone. Abby reached up and wiped away the the tears from her face and was about to go back inside when she felt small arms wrap around her leg. She looked down to see her daughter looking at her with red, wet eyes, her face reflecting the same sadness that Abby felt. Before she could say anything to her daughter, a soft ping emitted from her phone. She looked down to see a message from Marcus, “I miss you already. I love you!’

* * *

Later that night, after almost 10 hours of traveling, Marcus finally plopped down on the couch in the 2 bedroom condo that would be his home for the next few months. Though it was sparsely decorated, it was very nice and had defiantly been much larger than he had anticipated. It wasn’t home, but it did have everything that he really needed - a full kitchen, a well stocked refrigerator and pantry, a large desk on which he could spread out, and most importantly, a large balcony with a pretty fantastic view of the ocean. A small smile crossed his face as he stared out at the ocean. Abby would love it. It wasn’t ocean front, but it was pretty damn close.

Flipping on the tv to break the silence of the room, he cracked open a cold beer he had found in the refrigerator. He kicked off his shoes and propped his feet up on the coffee table, making a mental note to thank Raven for making sure his favorites were delivered by the grocery service. After a long sip of the cold liquid, he leaded back, closing his eyes as he tried to decide what he wanted to do - stay up and watch tv or go to bed. Originally, Sinclair was going to join him in his room so the two could come up with a game plan for the next few days. But by the time they had actually arrived at the high rise, they had both been so exhausted, they had decided to just deal with everything the next morning. He knew he really just needed to go to bed, but the thought of going to bed alone just didn’t appeal to him. With a frown, he looked down at his phone, his thoughts drifting to Abby.

It was 1 am his time which meant 3 am hers. It was way too late to call, though he was tempted to. As promised, he had called when he landed, but since his team was all traveling as a group, they had really only spoken for a few minutes before he had to let her go, needing to focus on getting all of his employees fed and then safely to their rooms. She had been understanding, but he had been disappointed that they couldn’t talk longer. As he sat in the empty room, all he wanted was to hear her voice, to feel the warmth of her body next to his. The thought of going to bed alone, just made his heart hurt and he wondered if she had felt the same when she had gone to bed with out him.

Though he had really spent the bulk of his adult life sleeping alone, it amazed him how quickly he had become accustomed to her presence at night. How much he had fallen in love with the feeling of her body fit tightly against his as they drifted off to sleep. How he would wake to the soft tickle of her hair against his chest as it cascaded over her shoulders. He had even fallen in love with the soft snores that escaped from her mouth when she forgot to take her allergy medicine at night. He had become so accustomed to having her next to him that the thought of falling asleep now without her by his side, made him feel more lonely than he had in his entire life.

Feeling completely sorry for himself, he finished off his beer and was just about to take the empty bottle to the recycling bin, when a soft ping emitted from his phone. As he looked at the screen, a soft smile crossed his face and he quickly swiped the screen to accept the face time request.

“I was just thinking about you.” Marcus said warmly, leaning back onto the couch as Abby’s face filled his screen.

“I know it late, but I just.. I just needed to hear yourvoice,” Abby whispered, a small frown forming on her face.

“I miss you baby,” he said immediately, his voice mirroring the same ache, the same incompleteness that he could see on her face.

“I’m glad you called. I thought about it, but assumed you were already sleeping. I’m really sorry about earlier. I hope Clarke wasn’t too upset.”

“She’ll be ok. She was a little disappointed that she didn’t get to say goodnight, but she’ll live.”

Marcus nodded knowing he would need to try and call her in the morning to apologize.

“So I take it you’re having as much trouble sleeping as me huh?”

“Yeah, this bed is too big without you and I’m cold.”

He let out a soft laugh, knowing how cold she often was when she first crawled into bed. “Trust me I wish I was there to warm you up. Why don't you go grab one of my sweatshirts?” He teased, a small laugh leaving his lips as she panned the phone down to show him she had already done that.

He studied her for a few minutes and could see the unasked question behind her eyes.

“What’s on your mind?”

“You promise not to laugh?”

“I make no promises love.” She rolled her eyes as he smiled at her.

“I know this is silly, but will you just talk to me for a few minutes.. to help put me to sleep?”

“You want me to tell you a bedtime story?” He teased as she pursed her lips. “No, I just want to listen to you talk. I think it will help to feel like you’re here. I know that sounds silly.”

“It’s not silly.” He smiled into the phone wanting to tease her that she essentially was saying that the sound of his voice put her to sleep, but he decided to let it go.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Tell me about the condo.”

“You’re going to love it, Abby.” He stood up and walked across the room, opening the french doors that lead out onto the balcony. “I don’t know if you can really see much on here, but I think you’ll be happy with the view.”

Abby tried to make out what she was seeing, but he had been right, it was just too dark.

“Send me pictures in the morning?”

“Of course,” he said as a yawn left his lips, his exhaustion finally kicking in. “Why do you get in bed too?” She suggested softly as she arranged the pillow beside her, his pillow, to hold her phone. He started to move around the room turning off lights as he watched her turn on her side to face the screen and pull the covers up to her chin.

“I think you may be on to something there,” he teased as he walked into the bedroom, quickly brushing his teeth andundressing before slipping under the covers. “Almost as good as being there.” He chuckled as he too turned and propped the phone next to him on the bed. “Almost,” she whispered, the soft glow of the screen illuminating her face.

“Keep talking, it’s helping.” She said sleepily.

“Ok, close your eyes love.” He watched as she smiled at him before letting her eyes drift slowly closed. He started telling her about a local place they had eaten at for dinner and within a few minutes he smiled, knowing that she was sound asleep. He was tempted to go ahead and end the call, but just listening to her breath softly on the open line made him feel more at ease. He watched her for a few moments before his eyes too slipped closed and sleep took him.

* * *

The next morning Marcus and his team hit the ground running and never looked back. The week passed quickly, one day blurring into the next. The ten man team had been broken up into small groups, each responsible for a different portion of the installation and testing of the base code that had been written for the data transfer system. Sinclair took responsibility for the team while Marcus and Nate working non stop to make sense of the abnormalities they had found buried deep in the data sample base codes. By Friday, everyone was ready for a break, but unfortunately, Marcus and Nate were no closer to figuring out their problem. Marcus had been hopeful that being on site and having access to the full files would make things clearer, but after spending four solid days reviewing and comparing code, the problem still remained frustratingly unsolved.

“This makes no sense.” Nate finally said with a huff, pushing back from his workstation and leaning back in his chair, his hands drifting up to his face and rubbing his eyes.

“Ok, let’s walk through it again.” Sinclair said as he stood and walked over to the window, his hands on his hips.

Marcus sighed in frustration, but obliged the man. “We’ve been through 20 different data transfers, one per month for the last 20 months,from each of the eight different labs. That’s 160 transfers samples in all. Each lab has a closed system, and were set up with different encryption keys.In every single sample, we found data layered onto one of the sub sections of the root file. While the coding isn’t the same across the board, it is present in every sample. The data is definitely encrypted. It’s not just corrupted files like we had hoped. Some of them use RSA but most are 256 bit AES.”

“Given the nature of Wallace’s work, I would expect that all the files are encrypted. Maybe the person that set it up just tied some of the transfer encryption it into the wrong system. It’s a dumb mistake, but not out of the realm of possibilities.”

“It’s not a mistake." Marcus interrupted flatly. "I had suspected that as well, but when you look at the transfer history, you can follow the data transfer and clearly see where the lab files are being stored.” Marcus pulled up one of the transfers and entered in to the file matrix.

“Look at the log. Here is where the transfer was initiated. 15 gigs of data transferred and 15 gigs of data stored. The data is all here, safely encrypted and in one place. But at the same time, this appears.” Marcus swiped the screen a few times and projected a different data stream onto the large monitor on the wall. “This is something else. The files aren’t even the same size. The encryption is totally different. It has to be a secondary transfer. The question is who is putting it there and why.”

“And no one at Wallace knows anything? None of the tech guys have ever noticed it.”

Marcus's eyes locked with Sinclair, giving him a knowing look. “Yeah, I thought the same thing. Wallace has a bigger issue here. Someone is going to a great deal of effort to transfer data from the labs. I just refuse to believe that no one knows anything about this. That it has gone unnoticed for all this time.”

"Maybe that's what we're here. To solve that problem," Sinclair offered.

"Then why not be upfront about it. Why not bring up the fact that they have a possible breech that needs to be addressed? It makes no sense that they would go through all this expense to bring us and then just hope that we find the problem.

Nate shook his head as Marcus dropped his head into his hands on the desk. “We can’t use their systems. We’re going to have to start from scratch.”

“Well, that’s easier isn’t it?” Sinclair said leaning back against the wall. “If they have a security breech going on in the labs, putting in a new system will solve that problem. Maybe that's what they were thinking. We'll just solve the problem and they don't have to worry about it. ”

“It’s not that simple.” Marcus frowned looking up at his friend. “We don’t know where this coding is originating from. It’s present on all the data files. Each lab is isolated from the other so the fact that it’s there on every file from every lab means something. The computers are wiped each time they head back to the labs. Nate’s already reviewed one of the wiped computers. The code is gone, so that means.”

“Either someone is installing this on every computer each week or”

“Or it’s embedded into the network at the labs. If that’s the case, it doesn’t matter what we do on our end, every time there is a data transfer from the labs' networks, the code will load and whoever is transferring this data will continue to do so regardless of our upgrades.”

“The question is what are they transferring.”

“It has to be research data.” Sinclair said crossing his legs and propping them up on the conference table. “Selling information to the highest bidder? Wouldn’t be the first time someone has tried to steal insider information for financial gain.”

Marcus twisted his lips as he considered the theory. “Ok, so if that’s the case, then we just need to isolate who has access to the files once they arrive here. Shouldn’t be hard to figure out. I can write a quick algorithm to trace who is accessing what data once it arrives here and hits the internal servers.” Sinclair nodded in agreement as Nate turned back towards Marcus, his face twisted in disagreement.

“You really think that whoever wrote this would be stupid enough to access this data via the network after going to all this trouble to hide it.”

Marcus tilted his head, as he considered Nate's assessment. “Getting it out of the lab may be the hard part. We just need to see if we can trace it and go from there.”

“We need to figure out what these files are." Nate insisted. "Maybe that will help us isolate where the breech is.”

“Assuming this is even a breech,” Sinclair corrected trying to keep Nate and Marcus from assuming too much.

“Oh, there’s a breech and I’m going to crack this shit.” Nate said, his voice hard with frustration. Both Marcus and Sinclair watched in amusement as the younger man cracked open a fresh Red Bull and placed his Beats on his head.

“Could you be any more of a cliche hacker?” Marcus said leaning back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head as he shook his head at Nate. “It’s 256 bit AES. You’re good, but…”

“You don’t think I can do it do you, do you?” Nate said clicking his tongue at his boss.

“And here I was thinking you hired me because I was good at what I did.”

“I hired you because you are a talented programer.”

“Programmer, white hatter… same thing. The way I see if, you can’t build a solid system if you don’t know how to dismantle one. That’s why hackers make the best programmers and you know it.” Nate smirked over at Marcus, knowing that Marcus preferred college educated computer specialists to the self taught hackers. 

"I've broken a 256 before, I can do it again. Give me two days. I’ll break it.” Nate responded confidently as Sinclair raised his eye brow and shifted his focus to Marcus.

Marcus pressed his lips together as she shook his head at Nate. "Ok, I'll play. Break it by Monday and I'll give you two weeks salary as a wedding present.”

Nate's head bobbed as he considered the offer.

“How about two weeks salary and you put a call into the condo board to make sure Eric and I are next on the list for an open apartment at Whaley’s Mill."

Marcus smiled widely as he reached over and shook the man's hand. "You have a deal. Let's see it hacker boy."

“Ok, you guys get out of here and let the artist work.”

"The artist," Marcus snorted as she stood and grabbed his phone and keys. 

“You sure Nate, it’s already 7.. and Friday.” Sinclair questioned also standing and gathering his things. 

“Meh, what else do I have to do this weekend?" The man shrugged at Marcus and Sinclair.

"Ok, it's your weekend." Marcus tutted. "Need anything before we bolt?" 

"I wouldn't turn down another few Red Bulls from the break room. Gonna some focus juice....”

Marcus just shook his head. Abby had warned him years before about the dangers of caffeine loaded drinks and it amazed him that Eric, who was also a cardio thoracic specialist, would allow his fiancé to consume them the way he did. Regardless, it wasn't his place to judge, so he wordlessly disappeared down the hall and returned with three cold Red Bulls, a few packs of peanut butter crackers, and two waters. "Just do me a favor and don't let your heart explode. I don't feel like dealing with Eric and Abby if you die under my watch. "


	23. Two Weeks Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus comes home for a quick visit and asks Abby for a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any typos, it's been a bit of a crazy week.

The first two weeks without Marcus had thankfully been a little easier than Abby had expected. His absence was of course felt, but between returning fully to her duties at the hospital and Clarke starting Kindergarten a few days after he left, the days had passed in a blink of an eye. They spoke every night and were constantly in communication during the day via texts, but it had been the distractions of daily life that had really helped keep her from lingering in her heartache.

Clarke, unfortunately, was a bit of a different story. After Marcus left, it was like a switch flipped. All of a sudden, Abby’s normally confident and happy daughter became an emotional mess, crying or losing her temper at the littlest of things. Though Abby had only had one class in child psychology in med school, it was enough for her to recognize what was going on with her daughter. The signs were all there. Though Abby had really endured the brunt of the various traumas, Clarke had also had her little world turned upside down. Given everything that had happened, it was normal for the instability to catch up with her at some point. What had surprised Abby was the sudden onset of the change.

She didn’t know if she had just been blinded by everything she herself was enduring at the time, but Clarke had really seemed to almost effortlessly navigate the fall out of Jake’s infidelity. She was young and somewhat oblivious to everything that was really happening, so Abby had simply assumed her resilient daughter was fine.Little did she know, the real reason Clarke had remained largely unaffected was Marcus. Until he was gone from their daily life, she hadn’t realized how much of a stabilizing force he had been for Clarke in all of this. Clarke absolutely loved her father, of that there was no doubt, and Marcus never tried to be a replacement for him, but in a very real way, he had been filling the void that had been created when Jake left. Clarke had seemed to be fine, because on a daily basis, she still had a father figure in Marcus. It wasn’t until he was gone that Clarke was finally forced to deal with her new reality and it was heartbreaking for Abby to watch.

It wasn’t that Clarke was completely miserable. She thankfully loved school. She had made a few new friends and was absolutely in love with her new teacher, but there was just a sadness about her that was hard to ignore. The littlest things would cause her to cry inconsolably.

The weekend before, Abby had suggested that they go out to play with the soccer ball but five minutes in she started crying and couldn’t tell Abby why. On Tuesday, in an attempt to brighten her mood, Abby had prepared Clarke’s favorite dinner, Marcus’s lasagna. Marcus had walked Abby through every step the night before and she had taken great care to make sure that she followed his instructions to the letter - even going to two different stores during her lunch break to make sure she had the exact brand of sausage that she had written down. Instead of the happy dance she had expected to see from her daughter, Clarke had taken one look at her plate and jumped up from the table with hot tears running down her cheeks. Before Abby could grab her, she disappeared upstairs to her room, sobbing into her pillow until she finally fell asleep. One night, Abby had even tried to read one of Clarke’s favorite books to her, but when she couldn’t do the voices like Jake did them, Clarke had thrown the book across the room in frustration. Abby did her best to stay calm when these little outbursts happened, but Clarke’s volatility was really starting to get to her and she kicked herself for not having the foresight to see this crash coming. Out of pure frustration with her inability to help her daughter, she had finally reached out to one of the child psychologists at the hospital. Fortunately she had reassured Abby that she was doing everything right. Clarke was just going to have to work through everything and really the only thing to be done was to reassure her the best she could and try to provide as much stability as possible for the little girl.

Thankfully, Jake had been much more receptive to Clarke’s struggles than she had anticipated and after an almost civil conversation, he had agreed to start picking her up from school every other afternoon so they could have some quality time together during the week. It had seemed to help, as had the FaceTime calls with Marcus every morning before school and every evening before bed, but deep down the sadness in Clarke persisted. The only thing that really seemed to cheer her up was Marcus’s upcoming visit. Abby just hoped that seeing Marcus over the weekend would help and not make things worse when he left again.

Originally, Marcus had planned on flying back early Saturday morning, leaving Honolulu at 7am for a Noon arrival in Arkadia. However, the more he thought about it, the more being home for just over 24 hours was simply not going to be enough. Determined to get at least one more day at home with Abby, he had worked well past midnight both Tuesday and Wednesday so that he was free to catch a red eye back to Arkadia Thursday night. With Marcus’s updated time line, Abby had spent much of Thursday evening running around making final preparations for his arrival. She had secured a new bottle of his favorite whiskey and had even scheduled the cleaning service to be there Thursday afternoon so that the house would be “Marcus” level clean when he got home.

After picking Clarke up from school, they had gone to the grocery store to pick up everything they needed for the weekend. Clarke had insisted that they make him his favorite meal Friday night and had pleaded with Abby to go by the bakery down the street from his neighborhood to pick up his favorite dessert, a freshly made Tiramisu. Before bed, Clarke had made not one, but three different welcome home signs and by 7am Friday morning, everything was ready to go. All that was missing was Marcus.

Clarke had begged Abby to stay home from school so she could go with her to pick him up from the airport, but selfishly Abby wanted a few hours alone with him. With an apologetic smile, Abby had dropped Clarke off at school with the promise that Marcus would be there to pick her up at the end of the day. As she watched her daughter huff down the sidewalk and disappear into the building, she said a little prayer for her teachers, hoping that her disappointment wouldn’t result in a bad day.

Marcus’s flight left Honolulu at midnight for a 5 am arrival in Los Angeles. From there, he had a brief two hour layover before the final hour flight back to Arkadia. He was tired from a night of broken sleep, but a little exhaustion was a small price to pay for one more day home with Abby and Clarke. After finally departing the plane, he had sent Abby a text that he had arrived and after a quick stop at the bathroom, he made his way quickly through the concourse towards the baggage claim area.The anticipation of seeing her was killing him and as he started his slow descent down the escalator to the second floor, his heart started to flutter in his chest. As soon as people were in sight, he started to scan the crowd of people for Abby. For 8 am, the airport was unusually full, but it only took a moment for his eyes to find her beautiful smiling face in the crowd. The warm morning light was streaming down through the high windows of the building, bringing out the warm tones of her chestnut hair. She looked like an angel waiting for him in her dark skinny jeans and her fitted black shirt. She had always been effortlessly beautiful, but after weeks of not seeing her in person, she looked like a damn goddess. As he took her in, he felt a familiar twitch down in his pants and shifted his carry on in front of his body as he willed his anatomy back into submission. After their previous nights conversation, he knew she was as desperate for him as he was for her and he couldn’t wait to get her home to show her just how much he had truly missed her. A moment later, he stepped off the escalator and started to move in her direction. She did the same, pushing past people to get to him. They were like two magnets unable to resist the pull between them. He had barely set down his shoulder bag on the tiled floor before she jumped into his arms, her arms tight around his neck and her legs around his hips. A few people turned with amused smiles at the sight of them, but he didn’t care. His arms immediately tightened around her waist as he buried his face into her neck, the tension that he had lived with for the past weeks suddenly leaving his body.

“It’s only been a few weeks and we’ve talked every day. How is it possible I’ve missed you this much?” Abby whispered into his ear, her voice cracking as tears started to gather in her eyes.

“Hardest two weeks of my life” Marcus murmured into her neck, as he held her close, inhaling her shampoo and trying his best to keep his body in control until they arrived safely back home. After a few moments, her legs unwrapped from his body and she slowly slid back down to the ground. Marcus reached up and wiped the tears that had escaped down her cheeks as he smiled down at her.

“God, I want to kiss you right now, but if I do, I’m not going to be able to stop.” He warned making a sharp bolt of desire run through her body. 

“So, I’m take it you don’t want to stop for breakfast on the way home?” She asked innocently, chewing her lip, knowing full well what the answer would be.

“We have 54 hours Abby, breakfast can wait.” He growled as her face warmed and his arms wrapped back around her waist pulling her into his body.

“And only 6 hours before Clarke’s home.” She added smiling widely into his chest.

“Well, then we should get going.”

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, they tumbled through his bedroom door, a blur of discarded clothes and passionate kisses. Their hands moving freely over each others bodies, fully exploring what had been denied for two painful weeks. As they reached the side of the bed, Abby turned them and pushed Marcus back onto the mattress.

As his body hit the soft bed, he couldn’t help himself and a soft groan left his lips as his eyes slipped closed.

“Oh my God, I’ve missed this bed!” She watched with amusement as his arms reached out to either side and he ran his hands over the soft blankets.

“Really?” Abby giggled looking down at him as she pulled her shirt up over her head. “That’s what you’ve missed?”

He sat up, his hands grabbing her waist and pulling her body into his. He thumbed her right nipple through her black lace bra making her head fly back at the sensation. “I’ve missed my bed,” he hummed as his hands ran up her back to unclasped her bra. He took it off her body and smiled at the sight before him. Abby closed her eyes, allowing the intensity of the moment to wash over her.

“And I've missed having you with me in this bed.” He murmured against her soft skin, the vibration of his voice making her shiver with anticipation.

Abby closed her eyes as his lips finally pressed kisses to her breast, and his hands gently caressed them.

“Nice save..”Abby whispered with a shaky voice as he finally took her right nipple into his mouth, sucking gently and flicking his tongue across the tip.

“God…Marcus….”

Marcus 's fingers ran over her skin, loving the soft silkiness of it. Abby arched towards him and gripped onto his shoulders as he switched to the left side of her body. Her hand moved to his head gently running her fingers through his soft curls and then to the back of his neck.

When she had as much as she could take, Abby gently pushed him back and crawled on top of him, kissing him deeply as she felt his throbbing erection through his boxers.

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” She growled as she began to slowly move on him, teasing him just enough to drive him crazy.

“Abby..God..you keep doing that and I’m not going to last very long.” He chuckled as his hand drifted to her waist to stop her movement. She smiled devilishly down at him and started to reach down between them, but before she could, he flipped them over so that he was hovering above her.

He kissed her deeply for a few moments before his lips trailed down her neck and her body, making her shiver.

"You are an incredibly amazing woman," he murmured against her skin as he peppered her body with kisses, re-familiarizing himself with her curves.

She smiled, her hand running through his hair. "Yeah? Well, I happen to think you're pretty amazing yourself. Especially….oh...."

She lost her words as he dipped his head between her legs and tenderly kissed her on the inside of her thighs. His hands ran up the sensitive skin, one hand cupping her heat and the other caressing her stomach.

“Fuck Marcus…Are you trying to kill me?”

His tongue darted out and flicked against her heat and she almost came from the pleasure of it. He knew she was close, and he wanted to see her fall over the edge before taking care of his own need. 

When he took the sensitive nub into his mouth and sucked on it, she bit hard on her lip so she wouldn't cry out. Her arousal shifted to overdrive, and when he grazed her clit with his teeth and soothed it with his tongue, her fingers gripped the bed sheets and she came hard. Marcus continued to pleasure her for a few more torturous moments, before finally making his way up her body and taking her lips with his. Abby moaned into the kiss, and she ran her fingers down his chest and to the band of his boxers.

"Off," she whispered, her finger dipping between the waistband and his skin. "Off now.”

Marcus kissed her again, long and hard, before getting off the bed and dropping the material from his body. He lingered for a moment, his eyes on her, still in awe of her beauty.

When he returned to his position above her, they kissed again, and Abby wrapped her legs around his waist, aching for him to be a part of her. He ran his hands down her body and over her legs as he positioned himself. With a twisted smile, he ran the tip of his erection over her clit making Abby’s head fly back...unable to handle the sensations.

“Marcus.. please…”

“So impatient..” He tutted as he continued to tease her.

“You’re such an ass…” she breathed as he slowly began to inch inside her, watching the pleasure on her face as he filled her. When he was completely inside her, he bent down and kissed her gently. "You love it and you know it." He teased as he slowly began to thrust, feeling her hands tighten on his shoulders as he moved inside her. She was so gorgeous. He’d never seen her more beautiful than when they made love.

"I missed this," she murmured, looking up at him. "I missed having you a part of me like this.”

"I missed you too," he replied, watching as her eyes darkened when he changed the angle of his thrusts. "I missed watching you like this...I missed being with you like this." 

She gripped him tighter and urged him towards her so that they could kiss, long and hard. After two weeks of not feeling any pleasure like this, she was greedy, she wanted more of him.

He thrust deeply again, making her gasp, and then he began to quicken his thrusts. He was so close, but he wanted her to go first.He wanted to watch her again, watch her eyes as they locked onto his, and her mouth as it opened in surprise when the intense pleasure exploded within her.

He soon got his wish, and he watched Abby tense beneath him. Marcus could tell she was close, and he bent down, kissing her hotly.

A look of agonizing pleasure came over her face and Abby arched her body as her orgasm hit her, hard and fast. Marcus thrust deeply once more, and they shared a desperate kiss as he came inside her.

They lay together afterwards for a moment, before Marcus rolled onto his back and Abby then lay sprawled atop him. Her hair was in disarray and her lips were pink and swollen. He grinned and kissed them again.

Abby smiled lazily at him. "I love you," he murmured, his fingers running up and down her spine. "I'm so glad to be home.”

She kissed him again. "I love you too Marcus.” As she pulled away, he felt something wet hit his cheek and opened his eyes to find tears gathered in Abby’s eyes.

“Hey,” He said softly reaching up and wiping away another tear. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s going to go so fast.” She whimpered as her voice cracked.

He frowned at her words, his heart tightening as he felt their impact. “I know. I’m sorry that I can’t stay longer, but let’s try and not dwell on it ok.”

She nodded as she settled back into his side. His hand drifted up and down her spine as he felt her relax into his body. “I’m sorry I’ve put us in this position, Abby.”

She shook her head. “It’s ok, Marcus. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take us there. I just.. I’ve just really missed you.” He pulled her close, understanding what she was feeling and wanting nothing more than to just stay in Arkadia with her. Two days was such a tease but it would have to be enough.

For the next hour, the two stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, talking about possible plans for the weekend and just enjoying being together again. They knew the really needed to get up and find some food but neither wanted to move from their little cocoon of happiness. After putting it off as long as he could, Marcus finally decided to bring up the favor that he needed from her. He hated to waste any of their time together on it, but he really wanted her opinion on what they had found. Nate had succeeded in breaking the encryption, but the documents they had discovered hadn’t made a lot of sense to their non medical trained minds. All they knew was that they were medical in nature and that someone had gone to a great deal of effort to hide the contents. Nate had first suggested sending it to Eric for review, but given the seriousness of the material, Marcus wanted Abby. It wasn't that he didn't trust Eric's opinion as a medical professional, but there were just somethings that he only trusted Abby to handle. As his hands drifted up and down her spine he finally decided to rip off the bandaid and get it over with. There wasn't really going to be a better time to bring it up. 

“I’m going to need to borrow your brain a little bit this weekend if you’re willing.” 

"Oh yeah?" She said turning to face him, arching her eyebrow as he piqued her interest. “With what?”

“I have some files that I need you to look at.” She gave him a half smile as she curled into him. 

“I don’t speak computer nerd Marcus, you know this.”

“Not those kind of files. It’s some stuff we found buried in a transfer code. It looks like research data, but I don’t really know what I’m looking at. Can you see if it makes any sense to you? We need to figure out what it is before we can do something about it?”

“Ohh a mystery…” she softly laughed as her leg draped over his.

“Nothing that dramatic, I promise.” He chuckled. “Sinclair and Nate both think it’s someone trying to steal info from Wallace, you know broker info for money. I just need to know what I’m looking at before I go up the chain with it. It’s being a bit problematic to deal with.”

“And what do I get for helping you with this little problem.” Abby teased as she rolled him onto his back and swung her legs over his body.

He groaned as his body again responded her touch, “God..Anything you want.”

"What I want is to keep you in this bed for the next two days." She grinned as she dipped to find his lips with hers. 

* * *

After having dinner as a family, Marcus took Clarke up to get her ready for bed, leaving Abby sitting on the couch, her glasses perched on her nose as she started to read the book of paper Marcus had brought home for her to review. Occasionally, Clarke’s giggle from upstairs would make Abby stop reading and just smile at the happiness she could hear in her daughter’s little voice. Clarke had been beside herself with happiness when they had picked her up front school, bouncing and waving in line as her eyes found Marcus’s car in the carpool line. The entire ride home had been her coming up with a long list of things she wanted to do while he was home. “We can go to the zoo, and to the library, and to the museum and you can play soccer with me..” Abby knew there was no way they could do all the things Clarke wanted, but it was nice to just see her happy. She just hoped that she wouldn’t fall back into her depression when Marcus left again. Marcus had been fully briefed on what was happening with Clarke and had promised her that he would make sure to have a conversation with the little girl while he was there. He knew his departure had kicked everything off and he was determined to do what he could to help fix the issue. He didn't know if he could really do anything other than come home, but he was determined to try.

Thirty minutes later, Marcus came down stairs and made himself and Abby a drink before returning to the living room to join her. "God you look sexy in those glasses," he teased as he lifted her legs just high enough to slip underneath.

"You're just saying that so I'll keep reading." She frowned at him, giving him an annoyed look as she returned to the packet in her lap. He let out a soft chuckle as his hands started to drift up and down the soft skin of her thigh. "I owe you big time."

"Yeah, you really do." She added, her eyes not leaving the page. As she continued to read, he pulled out his phone and started to check his email. Ever so often, he would glance over at her noticing the concentration on her face as she delved deeper and deeper into the material. After fifteen minutes of silence, he finally dropped his phone to his lap and just watched her. He hadn't noticed when it had happened, but it was impossible to ignore how her eyes had narrowed and her soft smile had been replaced with concerned grimace. 

"What are you seeing?" Marcus finally inquired when he could no longer stand seeing the uneasiness on her face. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, she tipped her head and flipped ahead a few pages in the pack. 

“What?” Marcus said again, giving her leg another squeeze.

“Hang on..” she said quietly, as her eyes scanned a few more pages, her face twisting as he watched her processing the information. With a huff, she finally dropped the packet on her lap and looked over at him. 

“Marcus, where did this come from?”


	24. Hidden Agendas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby helps Marcus understand what he has discovered.

“Marcus, where did this come from?” Abby eyes bore into his, concern clouding her face.

“One of the files I was telling you about.”

“Yeah, I get that,” she hufffed, waving her hand in the air dismissively. “But from where?”

He reached over, slowly pulling the packet from her lap and flipping through the first few pages before shrugging apologetically and passing it back to her.

“Nate’s been printing them as he decrypts the files. I just grabbed one on the way out of the office last night. It’s probably from one of the Thai facilities based on the section he’s been working on the past few days, but I’m not 100 % sure.”

Her brow furrowed deeply as she looked down at the paper and then back at him.

“But this is from a Wallace lab?”

“It’s from one of their facilities, yes.”

Abby grimaced. “You’re sure?”

Marcus nodded, eyeing Abby suspiciously, as he took a quick sip of his drink and set it back down on the table in front of him.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Why?”

“I know this drug. It’s an immunosuppressant that Wallace was developing for use in transplantation procedures. Jackson heard about it last year at a conference. It actually looked really promising and we were keeping our eyes on it for future use once it hit the market, but it ended up getting pulled by the FDA for safety concerns a few months ago.

“So what is that, old data?”

“No.” She said flatly, “That’s the thing. It’s not.There are participant observations in here from last week.”

“So, they’re reworking the drug?”

Abby frowned as she considered his question. “Maybe, but they just pulled this drug. There is no way that it would already be back in phased trials.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes at Abby, shifting so his body was facing hers.

“I’m not following.”

“There are very specific guidelines in place to ensure that companies are being honest with their research, that corners aren’t being cut, and that all research is done ethically. Agencies like the FDA are involved in every step of a clinical trial and if a drug is shown to have severe side effects, if the risks outweigh the benefits, and the FDA can end a trial. When they do that, the testing stops. The researchers don’t get to go back to the lab to work out the bugs. If they want to continue with the drug, then it has to go back to the preclinical phase for more research regarding the found side effects. The FDA then has to re-approve it for clinical trials. That process alone would take at least a year.”

“I’m not following you, Abby?”

She let out an exasperated breath. “Marcus, this is the same drug. This isn’t a variation, it’s the same damn drug. They’re still testing it. Once the FDA flagged it, the trial should have been terminated.”

“How do you know it's the same thing? Couldn't it just be something similar?" Abby frowned over at Marcus. 

“Because the information from the FDA as to why the drug was pulled is in this file. They’re trying to adjust the therapeutic range and delivery method to lessen the side effects. There are major issues with this drug and it’s all here in the data. This is crazy Marcus. It’s causing nephrotoxicity, a significant inhibition of the hERG channel,” She let out a harsh breath, chewing her lip as she flipped through a few pages.

“It’s even pointing to some serious genotoxicity that they didn’t even report to the FDA. These percentages are well beyond the acceptable range.”

“English Abby… ” Marcus mumbled as his browns snapped together. He didn't understand what she was saying, but it concerned him that it concerned her this much. Despite the seriousness of what she was telling him, Abby couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from tilting upward. Marcus was a brilliant man, but anything in the field of biology had always made his eyes gloss over. She tried to bit back her smirk, but it was too late. He had already seen it.

“Don’t do that.” Marcus said coldly, rolling his eyes as he frowned over at her. “Shall I start with a simple discussion of advanced AI logic algorithms?”

“Please don’t.” She groaned over at him, her eyes still dancing with amusement.

“Ok, nephrotoxicity is a build up for toxins in the kidneys. After a year of use, 36% of participants were reporting symptoms of kidney failure. As of last week, seven of the one hundred trial participants in this group had to be hospitalized for failure in both kidneys. The hERG channel is part of the electrical system of the heart it. If there is an interruption in this signal, it can lead to a fatal arrhythmia. All six deaths in the US group were attributed to arrhythmias and based on the pre-enrollment health screening, none of those participants had prior heart conditions.That is what lead the FDA to terminate the trial. But then there is the genotoxicity.. That’s pretty concerning too and the FDA never even saw this toxicology report.Genotoxicity is when a drug causes mutations to genetic information, causes things like cancer for example, birth defects in the children of women who have been on the drug.…”

“And they are supposed to stop the testing when the FDA pulls the drug?”

“Yes!” Abby sighed after the words left her mouth.

“So why is it still going?”

“That’s the question… but based on what I see here, they’re trying to get the side effects ironed out before they resubmit for an FDA trial.”

“How do you know that?”

Abby bit her lip as flipped to a summary report near the end of the document.

“Because it’s in the research notes. With in the past month, they started adjusting the therapeutic dosages based on a patients plasmatic concentration. They weren’t doing that initially. It was never part of the dosage research."

“Abby, you lost me again.”

“A therapeutic dosage is the difference between a toxic or safe dosage of a medicine. They’re trying to show that with the added patient screening, they can lesson the possibility of severe side effects but this isn’t how this works. The FDA shut down this trial. They can’t keep going with the testing population making huge adjustments to the dosage with the hopes of getting better results. This is totally unethical. If they’re really continuing this trial overseas after the FDA shut down the US trial, this is a major ethics violation.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, they’re breaking the law to salvage the research. They’re trying to fix the problems with the drug before they resubmit it for trial approval.” Abby sat back and rubbed her face with her hand.

“There is no way they are this stupid. Wallace is too large of a company to do something like this." The frustration in Abby's voice was apparent. "If they were to get caught… this would be a huge scandal. We’re talking major litigation and fines. All of Wallace’s current trials could be sidelined by the FDA. Their newest medications could be pulled for case review. There’s no way they risk this. This can’t be sanctioned research. This has to be someone doing something under the radar.”

“But the data is being sent to the home office Abby. Someone at Wallace has to be involved. Otherwise, the files wouldn’t be in the transfer.”

“Yeah, but to risk the entire company like that. I just don’t see them condoning this.”

“Maybe they don’t know?” Marcus suggested. “It’s a large multinational organization. Maybe one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing. Someone clearly went through a great amount of effort to make sure no one found these files. If we hadn’t specifically been reworking base code, we would have never seen these things.”

“You said you had more of these files?”

Marcus ran his hand through his hair as he leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. “Yeah, Nate's still working on decrypting them, but there is data buried in almost all of the weekly transfer files. ”

“How many?”

“Eight labs with weekly transfers.” 

“Are you serious?”

He nodded, “I guess we need to take a look at the other files to see what we’re really dealing with here.”

Abby scowled down at the packet before roughly tossing it on the coffee table. “Hopefully this is isolated because if it’s not..”

“I think I liked it better when I thought someone was just stealing research to sell it.”

“Marcus, this isn’t good.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is one file. Just because this one points to something illegal doesn’t necessarily mean the others do. IfI can get you more decrypted reports, are you willing to take a look?”

Abby nodded, “Sure, but Marcus you have to report this. This isn’t just illegal, its unethical. More people could die if they don’t stop this trial.”

“I think we need to be patient, Abby. Let’s see what the other files say and we’ll figure out what to do from there. If someone is risking sending something like this back to the home office, then someone else at Wallace is involved. I think you’re right. It doesn’t make sense to risk the entire company with something like this, but someone is and before we run off accusing people of something, I think we need to know who all is involved. I guess the next question is who would want to do this and why?”

“Well, the why is pretty simple.” Abby frowned over at Marcus. “Money. The faster they can get a drug to market, the more money they make. This drug has been in the trial phase for years. If they can work out the issues with the testing population they already are using, then it can move through the process faster the second time. No one else is working on a drug like this, that's why Eric and I were watching it so closely. If they can get it to market, they stand to make a long of money. Can you see who’s accessing the files?”

“Yeah, I can figure it out. I have complete access to the network. I just have to write an algorithm.. embed it carefully so it goes unnoticed…”

* * *

The next morning, Marcus woke feeling more refreshed and rested than he had in weeks. Curling towards the warmth in the bed beside him, he smiled as he tightened his arm around Abby’s torso, holding her securely against his body. He felt her hand drift up to rest on his forearm and suspecting that she was now awake, he moved so his head was buried in her neck. 

"Good morning, baby."

Abby hummed, as she snuggled back into his body. “I’ve missed waking up like this.” Abby whispered, her voice still heavy with sleep. Marcus placed a few lingering kisses to her neck and after a moment, she turned to face him. Wordlessly, her hand moved to tangle in his hair, gently urging his lips down to find hers. 

“I have too.” He growled as he adjusted his position so he could deepen the kiss. Abby opened her legs so he could drop down between them and a soft purr left her mouth as she felt his body start to wake against her thigh. Her hands trailed down his back and just as she urged his hips to flatten against hers, the door to the room swung open and a hurricane of blonde curls jumped onto the bed.

“Good! You’re up! Time to get out of bed sleepyheads!” Clarke exclaimed plopping down at the foot of the bed like it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do. Marcus immediately rolled off Abby and tried to slow his breathing, as the young girl played with her puppy, unaware of what she had just walked in on.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Abby groaned as her hand drifted under the covers to find Marcus’s hand.

“Why don’t you go down and turn on something. We’ll be down in a minute.”

“You always say that and then you don’t get up for another hour!” The girl pouted. “We have things to do people!” When neither moved, Clarke decided she was tired of waiting. Her hands found Marcus's leg and with all her might she attempted to push him off the bed. 

“Abby..” Marcus chuckled hoping to get some assistance. “Nope, she’s all yours.”

“Come on,” Clarke pleaded, “You said we’d go have some fun together today.”

“I did, and we will, but it’s still really early sweetie.” At that, Clarke looked over at Marcus, her eyes filling with tears. It was the first time Marcus had seen this reaction from Clarke since he had arrived home and it broke his heart.

“Please, It’s 6:30! And I already made a list. We don't have a lot of time and you promised!”

“Of course you made a list,” Abby groaned as she slipped the blanket over her head, unaware that her daughter was on the verge of tears.

“You made a list?” Marcus smiled gently over at Clarke, “Well that sounds official. Why do you go get it and we’ll see what we can get done today.”

"You promise?"

"I promise. Go on down and I'll be there in a minute." Clarke held his eyes for a few more moments before finally sliding off the bed and running out of the room. 

“I’ll go down and make some coffee.” Marcus sighed, leaning over towards Abby, intending on giving her one last kiss but Abby had other ideas. She pulled him down and captured his lips with hers.

“Stay, once she lays down in front of the tv, she’ll probably fall back asleep.”

Marcus dipped his head down to find her neck. “You think..” He purred into her neck. He knew he needed to go down to keep his promise to Clarke, but the look in Abby's eyes was impossible to resist. She nodded playfully at him and with no further encouragement needed, he resumed his previous actions, trailing down her chest, pulling down her tank top and capturing her nipple with his mouth. He heard the muffled sounds of Paw Patrol echoing up the stairs and smiled, hoping that Abby was right. He lingered for a few moments, making sure to tease Abby properly and just as he began his decent down her body, Clarke’s voice echoed up the stairs. “Come on Marcus!!” They both groaned knowing that it was no use. “We’re picking this right back up where we left it when she goes down for her nap.” Marcus growled into her skin as he reluctantly pulled back from Abby.

“You wear her out enough to get her to nap and I’m all yours.”

***********

Though the weekend had gone entirely too quickly, it had been exactly what they had all needed. A few days together to reconnect and recharge. For Marcus and Abby, it would only be two weeks before they were together again. They would be attending Nate and Eric’s wedding together in Las Vegas at the end of the month. But for Clarke, it would be almost eight weeks before she saw Marcus again. Initially, Abby had planned on bringing her to the wedding, but after discovering that it was going to be an evening ceremony and reception, it was decided that Clarke would stay home with Jake. It had been a hard choice for Abby, knowing that the decision would keep Clarke from Marcus, but at the end of the day, it really was what was best for them all. 

With the extended separation in mind, Marcus had made every effort to spend extra time with Clarke during his short visit. He knew that he and Abby would have their time in the evenings and in the coming weeks, so it was important to him to carve out some time just for Clarke. Though things had been getting better for her, he could see the behavioral issues Abby had been telling him about. It was obvious that Clarke was still struggling and the toll it was taking on Abby had not gone unnoticed either. So, in addition to the activities they had done together, like going to the zoo and the children's museum, Marcus had suggested that he and Clarke spend a few hours alone exploring the nature trails around his neighborhood. During their walk, Marcus had been able to get her to open up, as best a five year old could, about her feelings regarding the events of the last few month. He had been surprised to discover how much she had actually been aware of and the more she opened up, the more he realized what a duty he had to help her. He had never intended on sharing the details of his parent's divorce with her, or how it had impacted him as a child, but as he listened to her try and explain what she was feeling, the words had just started coming out of his mouth. Marcus's parents had gone through a similar situation when he was a child, though the divorce had been much messier and he had been a little older. He spared her all the nasty details, his father's alcoholism and abuse, the number of times his parents had tried unsuccessfully to reconcile, but just sharing with her that she wasn't the only child that had experienced this seemed to help tremendously. He reassured her that her parents still loved her very much and that their divorce had nothing to do with her. He also did his best to get her to understand that his disappearance had nothing to do with Abby. They hadn't gotten into a fight that made him leave. He had never realized that in her mind, she had connected the two events. Somehow she thought she or Abby had done something to make him leave, even though they both thought she understood his absence was because of work. 

To help cement that he was indeed coming home to be with them at the end of all of this, he helped her make a large wall calendar so she could better count down when he would be home. They marked the weekends that he would be in Arkadia and also when Abby had planned to bring Clarke out to Hawaii. Together with Abby, they talked about some of the things they could do together during each visit and Marcus even promised to take Clarke out to find sea turtles as long as she did her best to talk about her feelings when she was upset instead of yelling at her mom. Having concrete plans, really helped Clarke to process his absence and by the end of the weekend, everyone felt better about the next few months. 

When Sunday afternoon arrived, they three of them piled into Marcus’s SUV for the drive to the airport. Abby had been thankful for their time together, but as they made the journey to the airport, she couldn’t deny the dull ache in her heart. It was almost more painful saying goodbye to him this time than it had been the first time.

Marcus was feeling the same. He knew he had to catch this flight back, there was no delaying his return, but whenever he looked over to see Abby’s glistening eyes, it took everything in him not to turn the car around and go back home with them.

They walked him to the security check point and after saying goodbye to Clarke, Marcus wrapped his arms tightly around Abby’s waist. 

“This really sucks Marcus” Abby murmured into his chest, doing her best to keep her voice quiet so Clarke didn't hear.

“I know” Marcus said sadly, ignoring the knot in his throat and the watering of his eyes.

“I’ll call you when I land and I’ll see you in Vegas. It will be here before we know it.”

She nodded slowly into his chest as he dropped a kiss to the top of her head. 

“I love you, Marcus.” Abby whispered, her eyes slipping closed as she held him close. A smile grew on his face at her words. It didn't matter how many times she said them. He never grew tired of hearing those three words fall from her lips. 

“I love you more.” Marcus added as he kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, and then her lips, dropping little kisses until Abby’s began laughing, choking on the tears that escaped her eyes.

As he beamed down at her, he swept away more of her tears before pulling Clarke in for a three way hug. A moment later he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, we get to see what trouble Marcus and Abby get into at Eric and Nate's wedding. Comments are appreciated. :)


	25. What happens in Vegas....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby attend Nate and Eric's wedding.

It was almost Noon by the time Marcus returned to the hotel room. As the door closed behind him, he kicked off his shoes and walked quickly to the wet bar for a much needed bottle of water. As much as he had enjoyed golfing with Nate and a few of his friends and family that morning, he was thankful that they had only played 9 holes. Even by Nevada standards, it had been a ridiculously hot morning and the heat had utterly and completely kicked his ass.After downing not one but two bottles of water, he pressed his hands against the granite countertop, enjoying the cool stone against his skin. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he had not yet had lunch. He contemplated ordered room service, but settled on an apple that was in the room’s welcome basket. He took a few bites of the fruit before venturing further into the suite and looking around for signs of Abby.

Wanting to make the weekend as special as he could, Marcus had booked a spacious one bedroom suite at the Bellagio for he and Abby. She had initially questioned the necessity for such a large room, since it was just the two of them, but five minutes after entering the room, she was sold. There were four separate rooms, in addition to the bedroom and master bathroom, and every room offered floor to ceiling windows featuring impressive views of the Las Vegas skyline. Abby had been right, the room was a little large for what they really needed, but he had been able to use some contacts to get a very reasonable rate and seeing the look on her face had made it all worth it.

“Abby?” he called as he stepped into the bedroom.

“I’m in here.”

Marcus walked past the bed, stopping for a moment as his eyes drifted to the beautiful blue evening gown that had been laid out on the bed. He also took note of the unbelievably sexy garments that she intended on wearing underneath it.As he continued his path towards the bathroom, he couldn’t resist the urge to run a finger over the black lacy bra. He could already imagine what the lingerie would look like on her body and how much he was going to truly enjoy removing them after the reception. Pushing that last thought from his mind, at least for the moment, he walked into the bathroom, suppressing a soft groan as he found Abby submerged in the large whirlpool tub in the middle of the bathroom.

“Worth the money?” He teased, a smug smile growing on his face as he leaned against the door frame.

“Absolutely!” She hummed as she slipped a little further down into the water. “Next time, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.” He chuckled walking over and picking up a small bottle that she had discarded on the floor beside the tub.

“What’s this?” He said, turning the bottle in his hand to read the label.

“It’s heaven in a bottle. That’s what it is.” She purred, making a show of lifting one leg from beneath the surface of the water and stretching it out, resting it on the side of the tub. “There were 10 different bubble bath blends to pick from. I tried the coconut milk one from Sephora. God, I don’t think my skin has ever felt this soft.”

Marcus put the bottle on the counter and then turned back towards her, resting his back against the counter as his eyes traveled up and down her body. She blushed at the scrutiny, but did nothing to obstruct his view.

“Have fun?” she asked, clearly amused by his reaction to her exposed skin. 

“Yeah, I did, except for the heat. It was brutal. I’m not so sure I would have survived 18.” 

“Poor guy..” She teased, reaching over and taking a sip of her wine, before sinking deeper into the water as her eyes slipped closed.

“So, are you just going to stand there or are you going to join me in here?” 

Marcus’s mouth tugged up at her invitation.

“I don’t know, I kind of like the view from here.” 

“Mmm, your loss.” She hummed as she ran a finger between the valley of her breasts, drawing his attention right where she wanted it to be. “I mean, if I only had four days with my girlfriend after being away from her for weeks, I don’t think I’d turn down an offer like this but…what do I know.”

A small chuckle left his lips as he pushed himself away from the counter and started to strip off his clothes. As he approached the tub, she shifted out of the way, letting him slide in behind her. 

“You know this tub is big enough for us to have our own sides.” She breathed once he was settled. 

“I know, but I prefer this.” He whispered in her ear, his arms encircling her waist and moving down her abdomen. She tilted her head to the side, and not missing the invitation, he immediately attacked her neck with his mouth, quickly finding the one spot that he knew would send a wave of desire through her. A quiet hum left her lips and as he felt her pulse quicken under them, the corners of his mouth tugged up at how acquainted he now was with her body.

She turned her head and his lips met hers. Her hand reached back, bringing him closer to her. They kissed slowly, taking their time and enjoying just being together. Marcus could tell by the way that her hands were teasing his thighs, that she was craving him just as much as he was her. _That’s what two weeks apart will do for you_ , he thought as one hand wrapped around her waist and the other dipped down between her open thighs. As his fingers made contact with her center, she let out a jagged breath, smiling softly over her shoulder at him as she felt the evidence of his arousal growing against her lower back.

“Marcus,” she breathed, leaning her head back against his shoulder as his fingers found her clit. 

“Tell me what you want” he whispered, burying his head into her neck as her hands gripped his thighs. “Just keep.. God, don’t stop what you’re doing.” She almost whined as he pinched and teased her. Abby started rocking against his fingers, moaning softly as he slide one finger in her hot core, making her shiver against him. “Fuck Marcus,” her voice choked out as she gripped his left thigh with her hand. “Relax Abby, I’ve got you,” he responded, adding another finger, instinctively knowing what she needed. He worked her slowly, but steadily, letting the rhythm of her hips guide him. Abby could feel his breath against her neck. So close to her. She needed him, needed his lips. She turned her head, reaching for him and he responded by capturing her lips and kissing her passionately, muffling her moans with his mouth. Instinctively, her hips followed his rhythm and in a matters of seconds, she broke their kiss as a powerful orgasm flowed through her. His name was on her lips and he held her close, smiling as he felt her body relax back against him.

He slipped his fingers very gently from her core, wrapping his arms around her body as she tried to slow her breathing. After a few minutes of just enjoying the moment, Abby opened her eyes and looked back at him intensely. Her core was still throbbing from the intensity of the orgasm Marcus had just blessed her with and wordlessly she turned in his arms, capturing his lips again before whispering in his ear, “Come on. I have plans for you.”

=====

After making love until they were both too exhausted to move, Abby curled up next to him and drifted off to sleep. Marcus had really wanted to take a nap himself, but as hard as he tried, sleep just wouldn’t come.There was a small part of him that wanted to get up so he could check in with the office before they left for the wedding, but he just couldn’t bring himself to move. He was too comfortable with Abby’s head contently resting on his chest and his arm wrapped around her body, holding her close. As Marcus’s hand drifted slowly up and down Abby’s spine, his mind drifted back to the last time they had been together like this in a hotel room in Las Vegas. It was hard to believe how they had truly come full circle since that night and all he could do was smile softly at the unpredictability of life.

Knowing what he knew now, he couldn’t help but wonder how things might have been different if they had both had the courage to admit their feelings for each other back then. He didn’t want to torture himself with what ifs, but it was hard not to imagine the life that could have been. Would they have dated? Gotten married? Had a family of their own?

His mind only lingered on the unanswered questions for a few moments before his eyes slipped closed and his thoughts drifted to the future that was now open to them. He wasn’t an overly spiritual man, but he had always believed that everything happened as it should.. that sometimes the best path wasn’t always the fastest one. As much as he had wanted it, he had to believe that there was a reason that things hadn't worked out for them all those years ago. Maybe they hadn’t been ready for each other yet. Maybe they needed to go down different paths in order to better appreciate the road they would eventually walk together. It was the last thought that rocked him to the core. This is was the path that they had always been on. He hated to use the word destiny, but that is what it felt like. There was simply no other way to look at their journey. From the moment they had met as awkward twelve year olds, there had always been an intense connection between them that neither could explain and neither had been able to deny. Despite all the ups and downs that life had thrown at them, that connection had never faltered, never deviated. It had only intensified even when the world seemed to be trying to tear them apart.

He knew he was completely and hopelessly in love with her and as he laid there with her in his arms, there was no future that he could imagine that didn’t have her in it. He wanted to wake up to her next to him every morning for the rest of his life. He wanted her by his side for as long as he was lucky enough to have her. Abby started to stir beside him and as his eyes opened, he found her warm chestnut eyes already on him. 

“Hey you..” Abby said sleepily as she snuggled further into him.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did. I didn’t realize I was so tired. What time is it?”

“Almost 4. We probably need to start getting ready to leave soon. Nate said it will take us about twenty minutes to walk to the ceremony.”

“Do you think they’d miss us if we just skipped everything tonight?” She whispered, her hand drifting lazily up and down his arm. Marcus’s lips twisted as he dropped a kiss to her head. 

“Well, seeing that you’re in the wedding party, I don’t think it would go over well.” Marcus let out a soft, breathy laugh as he moved a strand of hair off her face..

“Too bad. I was kind of hoping to stay right here with you for the rest of the night.” Marcus smiled, but she could tell by the look on his face that he had been deep in thought. She sensed that part of him still was.

“You look so serious. What are you thinking about?”

“Us..” He answered honestly, reaching over to stroke her cheek with his finger. “I was thinking about the last time we were in Vegas together.” She blushed at his words, trying hard to keepa large grin from growing on her face.

“That feels like a life time ago.”

“It really does.”

“Did you ever think we would make it here?” She asked, her body warming at she briefly indulged in her memory of that night.

“At the time, no. But I’m glad that we did. It was worth the wait.” He said, his voice low and rough with emotion.

“Agreed.”

“Abby..”

“Hmm” She murmured as her eyes slipped back closed. When he didn’t say anything more, she opened her eyes to find him staring at her with wide, adoring eyes.

"Marry me," he whispered in a quiet but even voice. She could hear the sincerity in his words and as her brain processed them, her eyes grew wide.

Abby lifted her head up, tilting it to the side, regarding him with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” she asked breathlessly and for a second, he worried he had jumped the gun, that it was too soon, that he had been caught up in his thoughts, in his feelings. But then, he saw the twinkle in her eye that he knew all to well.

“Marry me. I’m asking you to marry me. This isn’t how I planned on doing it, and I don’t have a ring, but I.. I love you, Abby. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, making you happy. I want to be your husband," he murmured, his thumbs swiping under her eyes to wipe away the tears that had begun to escape and roll down her cheeks.

“If you’re not ready, it’s ok. I’ll wait as long as it takes but..”

Before he could finish his thought, her lips were on his. “Yes” she said breathlessly as her lips broke from his. A wave of love and adoration crashed over her at his declaration. She loved him and there was not a doubt in her mind that she wanted to be with him.

“I love you too and there is nothing I want more than to be with you for the rest of our lives.”

Her face broke into a grin that soon matched his own.

Before she could say another word, he flipped them and she giggled playfully as he pulled her underneath him and kissed her slowly, deeply, and making sure he knew just how much he loved her.

* * *

Eric and Nate’s wedding had been truly special. A beautiful celebration of love, not just for each other but also for all those who came to share their day with them. For a destination wedding, Abby had been surprised at the number of people in attendance. When Eric first mentioned that they were planning an intimate ceremony under the iconic Eiffel Tower replica on the strip, Abby had imagined there would only be 20 or so people in attendance. It warmed her heart to see that almost 50 people had traveled from across the country to help celebrate Nate and Eric’s union.

She didn’t know how they had done it, but some how the two men had managed to create an almost magical, enchanted garden vibe that was worthy of a wedding magazine cover. The area had been surrounded by floral covered trellises to blocked out the hustle and bustle of the Vegas strip and there were beautiful splashes of blue and purple flowers everywhere. There were candles scattered around the space to set the mood and above, strands of twinkling lights had been interwoven through the lattice work of the structure. Eric and Nate had succeed in creating a very intimate environment in the middle of the busy strip and it had truly been a sight to behold. Upon arriving, Marcus had asked Abby why they had gone through the trouble of creating such a private environment in the middle of such a busy location, but when Abby had explained that Nate had proposed to Eric on a trip to Paris the year before, it made little more sense. The selection of the venue had been a nod to that part of their history. They wanted the location so they just had to to figure out a way to merge the venue to the aesthetics they had imagined and from the looks of things, they had done it. The atmosphere was magical and everything was just so uniquely them from the ambience down to the string quartet that played nothing but covers of 80s rock ballads, Nate’s favorite.

As Abby listened to the couple exchange their vows of commitment and their words of love, her eyes kept drifting over to Marcus and Callie. They were sitting together just barely in her line of sight. Callie was a blubbering mess, as she always was at weddings, but Marcus didn’t seem to be paying attention to anything other than her.

The warm on his face as he watched her was intoxicating and she found that she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She knew she needed to stop getting distracted by him, but she couldn’t help it. She was still high from his impromptu proposal and all it took was one look at him to know that he was feeling the same.

They had decided to keep their news quiet for the time being as to not take away from Nate and Eric’s special day, but it had proven to be harder than they had anticipated. Especially since Marcus had slipped down to the Tiffany boutique in the lobby of the Bellagio while Abby got dressed, so that he could get her a ring. Marcus had insisted that no one would really notice, but Abby knew that wouldn’t be the case. She just didn’t have the heart to tell him because he had been so happy when he slipped the stunning diamond ring on her finger. Abby had barely waked into the wedding venue before Callie had grabbed her hand and beamed at the two of them, questions of how and when spilling from her mouth before Abby could stop her. When Callie pulled them both in for a tight hug, Abby's eyes met his and the mouthed "told you so" through her smug smile. For his part, he didn't seem to care who knew. He had asked and she had said yes, that is all that mattered to him in that moment. 

As the ceremony continued, Abby’s eyes locked with Marcus’s and she knew what was going through his mind. It was the same thing that was going through hers. This was going to be them.It had taken them a life time to get here, but it had finally happened. At some point in the near future, they were going to be married. The thought made her heart swell in her chest and as she held Marcus’s gaze, her eyes began to fill with tears. She could tell everyone else that she was moved by the ceremony, but it was her love for Marcus that had overwhelmed her. She couldn’t believe how quickly everything had changed for them. The last few months had been a whirlwind of amazing highs and devastating lows and even thought she could have lived without the heart ache, to be where they were now, it had all been worth it.

* * *

After the ceremony, everyone had moved upstairs to the restaurant at the top of the tower for the reception. It was a small venue, but what it lacked in space was well made up for by the mesmerizing 360 degree views of Vegas lights 460 feet below. The reception followed the traditional pattern, the announcement of the new couple, an opulent dinner, and after the cutting of the cake, dancing. While Marcus sat off to the side with his whisky, enjoying the party, Abby and Callie had happily danced together to the lively music pumping from the DJs speakers. He had never been one for for club type dancing, but once the music started to slow, he did find himself moving to the dance floor, finding Abby and pulling her into his embrace. 

Maybe it was the atmosphere, or the open bar, or all the emotions attached to the day, but as Marcus started to sway the two of them back and forth, Abby felt completely at peace. The evening felt magical... overwhelmingly perfect. There was something about the twinkle in his eyes as they met hers in the dim light. The feeling of his arms wrapped securely around her waist, the feeling of his heart beat mirroring hers as their chests pressed together. As she stood securely enveloped in his protective embrace, nothing else existed. It was just the two of them and she felt truly happier than she ever had in her entire life. She did everything in her power to stay in the moment, to not think about them having to again go their separate ways in less than 48 hours. Especially now, it hurt to think about them being apart.

She was so caught up in the moment that she almost didn't hear the words, “I’m so ready to be married to you,” slip from his lips. The words landed gently right in the middle of her heart and as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, moving slowly, a thought crossed her mind that made her heart start beating rapidly in her chest.

“So let’s not wait,” She whispered into his body. She felt the air leave his lungs as his arms gripped her a little tighter, the motion of their bodies never stopping.

He missed a beat before he responded. “You want to get married now?”

She pulled back just enough for their eyes to meet and she nodded.

“I don’t want to wait. I want to be married to you. Let’s do it.. here..tonight.”

What started out as a small grin quickly morphed into a wide smile as Marcus processed her words.

“You wouldn’t prefer a little ceremony on a beach somewhere..” He hadn’t told her, but he had already been thinking about the two of them marrying when she visited him in Hawaii for Thanksgiving. He could already see it.. A private ceremony on the beach as the sun was setting, him in a crisp white shirt and khakis and her in a flowing white dress, the last rays of sun setting her chestnut hair on fire as the wind played gently with her long locks. He didn’t want to rush into anything, but as he looked down at her smiling brightly up at him, he knew that she had meant what she had said. And that there was no way he would ever say no to that face.

Without another word, he leaned in to capture her lips with his and a moment later the two walked out of the room hand and hand.


	26. What Happens In Vegas, Part 2

Abby couldn’t stop smiling. She didn’t know how or where, but they actually doing this. They were going to get married. Tonight. Well, hopefully tonight. She and Marcus still had to figure that part out. _How hard could it be_ , she mused. After all, wasn’t the unplanned wedding the hallmark of the Vegas experience?

Abby felt Marcus’s arm snake around her waist, and she leaned back into his body as her eyes slipped closed, a soft smile growing on her face at the contact. The calm she felt only confirmed that they were doing the right thing. She knew that she should feel nervous, but she didn’t. Not even a little bit. There was not a doubt in her mind that this was what she wanted and she knew he felt the same.

Over the years, she had tried very hard to never compare Marcus and Jake. It wasn’t a healthy thing to do. She knew this, but it was hard to fight human nature. Though Marcus and Jake were both very accomplished and handsome men, they were just by nature, very different. She had always been smart enough to keep her observations to herself, though there had been times, especially in the middle of a heated argument with Jake, when the temptation had been great.

Jake barely tolerated Marcus’s presence in their life, and she had always known that vocalizing certain observations, especially in the middle of a fight, would just make the mens already strained relationship worse. There had always been an underlying jealously that Jake harbored towards Marcus and though it would have probably felt good at the time, she knew that stoking that emotion in him would have likely lead to ultimatum that she was not prepared to face.

Now, things were different. With everything that had happened, how deeply Jake had betrayed her, she felt justified in indulging in her observations. She had truly loved Jake during their years together, but her love for him had defiantly blinded her to some things. For example, Jake was confident, but could border on arrogant. Marcus too was confident, but was never the type to make anyone feel ‘less than.’ She loved that about him.

Jake was good at making her laugh, but horrible at picking up on her emotional cues. Marcus, by contrast, had always been able to accurately read her with a single glance, but his love of the ‘dad joke’ usually had her rolling her eyes, more than laughing. Well, she did laugh, but it was, more often than not, at him and how much he cracked himself up..not at her reaction to the joke.

She had always loved how tall Jake was. It wasn’t that Marcus was short, but Jake was just physically larger. She had always been addicted to how her petite frame felt wrapped in his large arms, like she could somehow retreat into the sanctuary of his embrace and be protected from all the bad of the world.Now though, she wondered how much of that was Jake and how much of it was just a memory of her father. She didn’t know how she had missed it before, but Jake was actually very similar in stature to her dad. Though her relationship with her father had been strained at times, especially after her mother had died, he had always done his best to protect her and keep her safe. She suspected now that it hadn’t been Jake’s embrace that she had been addicted to, it was the memory of her father that his body evoked.

Marcus, on the other hand, had the ability to make her feel safe and loved in a way that Jake had never been able to do. It wasn’t a physical thing with Marcus, though being in his arms was one of her favorite things in the entire world. With Marcus, it was his constant unwavering presence that brought her peace, made her feel secure. She knew without a doubt that he would always be there for her, in any and every way that she needed. She knew this because he always had been. He was the one true constant in her life. In that sense, there was no comparing the two men.

Both men had the unique ability to make her so angry that she couldn’t see straight, but the how and the why was different. When she and Jake fought, the root cause was always the same.. his need to be right.. to be in control. Jake had always told people that he had been attracted to how strong of a woman she was, how she was so sure of herself, but when they argued, it was a different story. No matter how calmly she tried to explain her position, he would always remain stubbornly unwilling to consider her opinion. He had a deep rooted need to be right, and if you didn’t see something his way, then you were just wrong. Period. After a fight, even when it had been resolved, she always felt empty and hurt afterwards. He just had a way of getting under her skin and making her doubt herself.

With Marcus, it was different. Arguments were never a power play with him. When she and Marcus fought, which wasn’t as frequent now as it had been when they were younger, it usually was over something stupid. More often than not, he would pick a fight for no other reason than he enjoyed pushing her buttons. It was never about being right with him. He just enjoyed getting a rise out of her and if she was honest, it had always kind of enjoyed it.

Then there was the comparison between the two men as romantic partners. Jake had always been skilled in the bedroom, but Marcus was.. well, honestly there was no comparing the two. Marcus won that battle hands down. She had defiantly upgraded in that department.

And now, there was this… her impending marriage to Marcus. Thinking back to the night before her wedding to Jake, she remembered how nervous she had felt. The night before a couple’s wedding was supposed to be magical, but hers had been anything but. She had moved through the evening, trying to convince herself that it was just the stress of the wedding getting to her, but she remembered being an emotional mess. She remembered being unable to shake the uncertainness she felt and now, looking back, she understood why. Deep down, her heart had been trying to tell her something. She had refused to acknowledge it at the time, but if she was honest, she had known, even back then, that her heart hadn’t belonged to Jake. Not in the way that it should have. She had loved Jake, but her heart had belonged to someone else. It belonged to the man she called at 2:30 in the morning when she had become so overwhelmed with the feeling that she was making a huge mistake that she wanted to run. Her heart belonged to the man that had stayed on the phone with her for the rest of the night, calming her nerves and reassuring her that was she was feeling was a completely normal reaction to the huge commitment she was about to make. Her heart had belonged to the man that had shown up at her house the next morning with a large coffee and had stayed by her side until it had been time for him to walk her down the aisle, an honor that had gone to him since her father had already passed. He had been the next most important man in her life, so his selection had been appropriate. Jake had been fine with it, and she suspected now that Jake had liked the symbolic nature of the gesture. 

The irony that it had been Marcus that had helped her get through that day was not lost on her..especially now.

To think about how selfless he had been was overwhelming.

All it would have taken was one word from him, one little hint that she shouldn’t marry Jake and she would have called the entire thing off. Marcus had been in love with her. She knew that now, but instead of using that moment, when she was at her weakest, most vulnerable state to confess his feelings, he had chosen to reassure her. Instead of telling her how much his heart was breaking watching her marry another man, he had chosen to encourage her when she needed it most because he truly believed that Jake was what she wanted. He loved her so much that he was willing to let her go, as long as she was happy, and he truly thought that she was.Marcus had always put her first. Always. And it was that truth that made her now know without a doubt that she wanted to marry him, to be his wife.To spend the rest of her life loving him and taking care of him the way that he had always done for her. 

It was strange, but marrying Marcus somehow felt like she was righting a wrong. Like she was finding her way back to her correct path. Her marriage to Jake hadn’t been perfect, but looking back there had been happy times. Even though she could have lived without some of the heartache, in the end, her marriage to Jake had been worth it, if for no other reason, than the union had given her Clarke. Sure, in a different life, maybe she and Marcus would have been blessed with a child, but it wouldn’t have been Clarke. The spunky little girl with a huge heart who had her tenacity and Jake’s beautiful blue eyes, her stubbornness and Jake’s curiosity. Clarke had made everything with Jake worth it, but she was ready to put that relationship behind her. She was ready to move forward with the only man that she had ever truly loved. She didn’t know what the future held for them, but as she stood with Marcus’s arms wrapped around her, she felt at peace and excited for what ever life had in store for them.

Marcus felt Abby turn her head to look back and him and he stole a quick kiss before wrapping his arms a little tighter around her body. He still couldn’t believe the events of the day.

If you had told him that morning that by the end of the day, he and Abby would be married, he would have thought you were crazy, but here they were. It wasn’t some possible scenario anymore, some daydream that would cross his mind late at night when he couldn’t sleep and his thoughts would drift to Abby..to their future together. 

This was really happening, and though this wasn’t how he had planned it in his mind, it all somehow felt right.

Truth be told, proposing to Abby had been on his mind for quite some time now.He had been hopelessly in love with her for most of his adult life, so the moment she confirmed that she felt the same, he had known that marriage was somewhere in the future for them. The only stumbling block for him had been timing.

Though she wanted everyone to believe that she was fine, he knew that she was still processing some of the traumas that had been inflicted on her over the last few months. He didn’t want to rush things. There was no reason to. They had all the time in the world, so he had decided to be patient.. to give her time. He had toyed with the idea of proposing over Thanksgiving when she and Clarke came to visit him in Hawaii, or maybe at Christmas when he was back home in Arkadia. He had already come up with a few ideas of how Clarke could be involved in the proposal. After all, it wouldn’t just be Abby that he would be making a life with, Clarke would be a part of their little family as well, so it had been important to him to integrate her in some way.

But then Vegas had happened, and as things typically wentfor him, all logic and control went out the window when it came to Abby. He still didn’t know what had come over him that afternoon when the words, marry me, had left his lips, but there wasn’t a single piece of him that regretted that moment.It wasn’t what he had been planning, but it had been perfect.

And now, as he stood with the love of his life in his arm, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he had done the right thing.

The sound of a water jet coming to life pulled Marcus from his head and as the mist hit them, he felt Abby shiver in his arms.He wrapped his arms a little more securely around her body, pulling her snugly against him as he dropped his head to her shoulder so more of his body was in contact with hers. The temperature had dropped significantly since they had left the reception, and though he had already given Abby his jacket, it was obvious that it hadn’t been enough.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go inside? You’re shivering..” She shook her head as her hands drifted to his arms, holding them in place as her eyes remained focused on the carefully choreographed movements of the water.

“I really want to see the end and besides, you’re doing a great job of keeping warm,” she hummed as she looked back over her shoulder at him. He stole another quick kiss before she returned her attention to the display.

“Too bad there are all these people out here,” he teased, “I could do a much better job of warming you up if we were alone.” His breath ghosted across her face, making her mouth curl into a smile.

She felt one of his hands move just enough to give a gentle squeeze to her left breast and she melted a little more against him.

“Are you propositioning me Kane?”

“It depends. Is it working?”

“Maybe..” She smirked, “but I think we have a little unfinished business to take care of before we turn in for the night.”

He let out a soft chuckle as he pressed his head to hers. “Hey, I’m not the one that wanted to stop and watch the show first.”

After the water calmed and the crowd disbursed, they entered the lobby expecting to find a clam and peaceful environment in which they could figure out their next steps. Unfortunately, upon walking through the doors, they had once again been thrust into a sea of people. Large crowds had never bothered Abby, but Marcus hated them. They had always made him feel claustrophobic. Their timing had been awful, it was obvious that one of the shows had just let out because people where everywhere, filling most of the lobby seats, gathered in corners huddled over cell phones discussing plans for the rest of the night.

After nearing avoiding a collision with a rowdy group of businessmen, Abby heard Marcus release an annoyed breath as he grabbed her by the wrist, gently pulling her behind him towards a set of nondescript doors just beyond the main guest services desk. “Where are we going?” She questioned as he pulled out his wallet, looking for his key card.

“Somewhere quiet.” He huffed as he pressed the silver card to the small black box to the right of the doors. She raised an eye brow at him wondering why he was trying to get into what looked to be a restricted area, but her expression quickly changed when the lights on the box flashed green and she heard the locking mechanism release the doors. Without further explanation, Marcus pulled open the door and motioned for Abby to enter before quickly following her and letting the door close on the intrusive noise and swarm of people on the other side.

She followed him without a word down a short corridor, smiling with understanding when they reached a set of glass double doors marked High Rollers Lounge. “Don’t give me that look. It was included with the room,” Marcus offered nonchalantly, after seeing the amusement in her eyes. He had always had a knack for finding the better things in life and it seemed that this trip had been no exception. “Leave it to you to find the one quiet spot in the entire casino.” She teased as she felt his hand move to the small of her back guiding her to a couch in the corner of the room.

Much to Abby’s delight and Marcus’s relief, the lounge was quiet and calm. It felt like they were the only two in the room, but as Abby’s eyes scanned the area, she realized that there were more people present than she had realized. The space was deceivingly large, but the designer had obviously gone to a great deal of effort to make the room feel intimate. You could almost disappear into your own little world and the word “perfect” slipped from her mouth as she followed him to a small couch in a far corner of the room. As Abby made her self comfortable, Marcus walked over to the fully stocked bar in the middle of the room. He returned a few moments later with a drink for each of them and after taking a sip, they settled back into the couch to get to work. Abby moved close beside him as he pulled out his phone and began to research wedding possibilities.

The options available were somewhat overwhelming. After almost twenty minutes of scrolling, they had discovered there were chapels everywhere on the strip. Literally everywhere.. each catering to a different subset of humanity.

You could get married by Elvis or Batman. You could get hitched in a sky diving simulator or during a helicopter ride.There were even some options that were so ridiculous and over the top that Abby’s uncontrollable laughter had left her struggling to breath. The two most entertaining being the pirate ship themed chapel where you could walk the plank together afterwards or the Kiss Mini Golf Chapel. That had been the one to really send Abby over the edge. Every package included a round of mini golf, and when you were done, you then would get your face painted like the band Kiss before you, wait for it…. “kissed the bride.”Marcus just shook his head at the absurdity of it, but Abby couldn’t stop laughing and insisted that they look at each and every one of the “sample” photos on the site.

There were, of course, the run of the mill, bare bones “quickie” wedding chapels but nothing seemed to do justice to their relationship. While their decision had indeed been impulsive, they were by no means two drunken lovers about to embark on a decision that neither of them would remember the next day. The universe has been slowly but surely pushing the two of them together since they were children and they both intrinsically knew that a relationship as deep and intense as theirs deserved more than a 5 minute ceremony and cheap rings that would leave your finger green the next day.

It wasn't that either of them had a particular desire for a large traditional church wedding. Abby had already checked that experience off her bucket list when she had married Jake and as for Marcus, he didn't really like being the center of attention anyway. All they wanted was a ceremony that felt somewhat intimate and had more of an air of permanence about it than the ‘Lucky Little Chapel’ could offer. Unfortunately, most of the attractive options all involved reservations weeks ahead of time and a wedding certificate filed in advance.

After an hour of searching, Marcus finally had enough and he could tell by Abby’s body language that she was starting to lose hope.

“I hate all of these,” Marcus said with a huff.

“Well, then maybe this is a sign. Maybe we shouldn't do this.” She whispered sadly as she dropped her head to his shoulder, making Marcus’s heart hurt at the thought that maybe she was changing her mind.

“If you don’t want to do this.. It’s ok. We don’t have to do this now..rush it.”She looked up, sensing something in his tone that she hadn’t expected and she certainly hadn’t intended when the words had left her mouth. His eyes dropped and she could see the seed of doubt she had planted in his mind. Her face softened as she turned her body towards him, wanting desperately to erase that from him, take away anything in him that ever gave doubt. She couldn’t stand the thought that he might think she that this wasn’t exactly what she wanted.

“Hey,” she threaded her fingers with his as she tilted her head to try and catch his gaze. “That’s not what I meant Marcus. I want this. I want to get married and I want to be your wife. I was serious when I said I wanted to do it now, but I don’t want to settle on something that you aren’t happy with.”

“You’re all I need to be happy, Abby. It’s just that.. You deserve better than this…” He said holding up the phone before tossing it beside him on the couch. “None of this is good enough for you.” She smiled softly at the sentiment.

“Marcus, I don’t need some fancy ceremony. I just need you, ok?”

“You’re all I’ve ever needed.”

“Then what do you want to do?” She asked as her thumb gently stroked his hand.

“I want to marry you.” He said, a smile growing on his face as the words left his lips.

“Then lets get married. You pick the place and I’m there.”

She watched as the corner of his lip tugged up and he reached out to cup her face. She was waiting for him to lean in and kiss her, but instead she watched as his eyes drifted past Abby to some spot in the distance.

Abby tilted her head, observing how he had effortlessly slipped back into problem solving mode and then she followed his gaze back over her shoulder towards the concierge desk by the entrance to the room.

“You have that look..”

His face twisted as he considered the options going through his mind. “I think I have an idea. Do you trust me?”

“Maybe..” Abby teased.

He downed the last of his whiskey, placing the glass back on the table before leaning over and to pulle her in for a quick kiss. “Then don’t move.” He grinned, pushing himself up off the couch. “Let's see if their concierge service is as amazing as they claim it is. If we’re going to do this, we’re not settling.”

As Abby watched him walk off, she licked her lips, enjoying the hint of whiskey he had left behind. Marcus had always been able to accomplish anything he put his mind too and she trusted that if there was anyone in the world that could make this happen, the way they wanted it to happen, it was him. From her seat, she watched as Marcus introduced himself to a young woman behind desk. Though Marcus wasn’t a fan of crowds, he had always been a people person. He was just one of those individuals that could strike up a conversation with anyone and immediately put them at ease. Over the years, it was a skill that had served him well and Abby had learned that if smooth talking was needed, Marcus Kane was your man. It wasn't long before Marcus had the young woman smiling and laughing and as she energetically motioned for Marcus to take a seat at her desk, Abby didn't miss the warm smile that the girl offered her over his shoulder.

After typing a few things into the computer, she had frowned and then called another employee over. The three of them talked for a few moments before the senior woman took control of the computer and began showing things to Marcus as the younger woman took notes. Abby couldn’t really make out the images on the screen, but she could tell by Marcus's body language when he saw something he liked verses when he didn’t.

As she sat there waiting, Abby felt like every fiber of her being was vibrating with anticipation. She didn't know what they were planning, but from the looks of things Marcus was working his magic and that realization alone made her stomach flip. Maybe this really was going to happen. Her phone buzzed beside her, she looked down to see a message from Callie.

“Where did you guys go?” She questioned with an emoji with a raised eyebrow. As much as Abby wanted to tell her friend what they were up to, she decided that it would probably be wiser to keep everything quiet, at least for now. She sent her a quick message that they had decided to call it a night and hoped that Callie wouldn't push any further. Callie simply responded with a smirking emoji and a “Atta boy Kane,” making Abby blush.

As she closed the message app, her eyes drifted to the background image on her phone. It was a selfie that Clarke and Marcus had taken the last time he had been home and as she saw her daughter’s face, a wave of guilt washed over her. She hated that Clarke wasn’t going to be there for this moment. After all, this action would be officially cementing them as a little family, but she didn't want to put it off. She didn’t know how, but between she and Marcus, they would find a way to make it up to her. Sensing motion out of the corner of her eye, she looked up to see Marcus walking back over to her with twinkling eyes. She could tell by the triumphant grin on his face that he had come up with something and if it was good enough for him, then it was good enough for her.

“You still want to get married?” He beamed, offering his hand to hear.

“More than ever.”

“Ok, let’s do this.”

“Seriously?” A fresh wave of emotion washed over Abby as she realized that they were actually going to take this step. “You found a place that will work?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Abby raised an eyebrow at his half answer. “In a manner of speaking?”

He laughed, “Do you trust me or not?” She took a deep breath as she pretended to consider his question.

“Come on, we only have an hour to get our license before the bureau closes and we need to go pick out some rings. There will be a car waiting for us out front.” Her mouth dropped open as she looked between him and the two women smiling bright at them from the other side of the room. “Worked a little magic?”

“You more than anyone should know that it’s impossible to say no to this face.” His lips twisted in a smug smile as she playfully rolled her eyes.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Yeah, but I’m about to be your legal idiot.”

She took his hand and after getting to her feet, immediately stepped into his embrace. “We’re really doing this?” She looked up at him, her eyes full of nothing but happiness. “Absolutely, I need to make this official before you come to your senses.” She shook her head, knowing that he was teasing. “Come on.” Marcus dropped a quick kiss to her head before taking her by the hand. As they walked to the door, Marcus again offered his thanks to the two women at the concierge station. The younger woman was already on the phone, making an arrangement of some kind, and the older woman reminded Marcus to keep an eye on his texts for instructions.

It was on the tip of Abby’s tongue to ask “What instructions?” but she thought better of it. Marcus had obviously gone to a lot of trouble arranging something and for once in her life she was content to wait and see what happened.


	27. An Event Years In The Making

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby finally tie the knot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final installment of Marcus and Abby's time in Vegas. It's fluffy even by fluff standards..lol. Enjoy. ( I apologize in advance for any typos.)

When Marcus imagined this day, he had always envisioned a simple wedding. Just he, Abby, Clarke, and a few close friends. It wasn’t that he had a problem with big weddings, but a huge event had just never appealed to him. All he had ever wanted was a private ceremony with a small, intimate reception afterwards where the people that he and Abby loved the most could gather and help celebrate their union.

Given the short timeline, he had done his best to create the day he had envisioned for them, but everything had all happened so quickly there had simply been no time to try and involve anyone else. In the end, he was more than happy with how things had come together and hoped that Abby would feel the same. Once he was back in Arkadia, he assumed they would arrange a dinner with their friends to celebrate. Knowing Callie, he was almost positive that she would insist on hosting a party for them so he tried not to dwell on what they didn't have. They would have their day with their friends, but for now, they had each other, in the end, that was all they really needed.

On the way back to the Bellagio, Marcus had received a text from Arlene, the older of the two women that had helped him in the VIP lounge. She had explained that once they arrived, there would be two people waiting to assist them with preparations for the wedding. He hadn’t told Abby yet, but he had been able to organize a bit more than just a last minute ceremony. With Arlene’s help, he had arranged for Abby’s hair and makeup to be done and for a selection of rings and bouquets to be available for her to choose from for the ceremony. Arlene had suggested that Abby select his ring and he hers. He loved the idea and knew that he could pick out a ring she would love. After all, he had been pretty successful that afternoon when he selected her engagement ring.

As he read through the information in the texts, Abby had tried to lean over and see what surprises Marcus had in store for her, but with a shake of his head and a teasing frown, he had moved his body so she couldn’t see the screen.

“You’re really going to keep me in the dark?” She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes at him.

“I really am.” He responded firmly, his lips pressing together as he tried to hide his amusement at her annoyance. “I only get to do this one time, Abby. Let me have my fun.”

As she sat back against the seat with a huff, he could feel her eyes on him. As quickly as he could, he finished reading the lengthy message. Much to his surprise and amazement, Arlene had pulled a few strings and arranged for a collection of wedding gowns to be waiting on Abby. She had also arranged for a few tuxedos to be available to him if he wanted. Since Eric and Nate’s wedding had been an evening event, both Marcus and Abby had been dressed in formal attire.He had just assumed they would wear what they had on for the ceremony, but he had to admit, making the traditional attire available to them on such short notice had been a nice touch. He wasn’t overly concerned with what he was going to be wearing, but being able to marry Abby in a beautiful gown was truly the perfect addition to an already perfect day.

After sending a quick message of thanks to Arlene, Marcus closed the phone and set it between them on the seat. As expected, Abby was only able to keep her curiosity in check for so long. As she reached for the phone, he pressed his lips together, doing his best to hide his amusement at her predictability. She had giggled triumphantly as she moved just out of his grasp, but her victory was short lived. As she pulled up his messages, he watched as her smile morphed in to a frown and tried to hold back his laughter as she tossing his phone back into his lap when she realized that he had already deleted the text. “I can’t believe you don’t trust me.” He teased, acting as if he actions had deeply offended him.

“I can’t believe you won’t give me any details.”

“Why would I? This is so much more fun.” She shot him a glare and he laughed, taking her hand and kissing it. “Please still marry me?”

“It’s a good thing you’re cute, Marcus Kane.”

When they finally arrived back at the casino, the driver took them around the building to a private entrance at the North side of the property. Abby had looked at him with questioning eyes, but truth be told he didn’t know much more about what was going to happen than she did. He really only knew the details that Arlene had sent to him, so while he had an idea of what was in store for them, most of it was still going to be a surprise. When Marcus had walked over to the women at the concierge desk to relay his request, he had no idea what was possible. He had tried his best to given them some back ground on their relationship and why it was so important to him to arrange something special, even though it had been a last minute decision to marry. The women were so used to the ill thought out marriage request that when a story of true love crossed their desk, they had been all too happy to help facilitate the wedding. Though Marcus was usually a hands on person, they were simply out of time so he had signed a few forms authorizing them to spend what they needed to spend and had put it all in their hands. Arlene had assured him that they could create a special moment for he and Abby, so all he could do now was hope that his faith in her had not been ill placed. From the correspondence he had received so far, it seemed like she was truly doing her best, so he believed that they were in for a special night.

After helping Abby out of the car, an impeccably dressed man named Grayson quickly introduced himself before suggesting that they head inside to get her ready for the ceremony. While Marcus had known they were going to be separated, it had obviously been a surprise for Abby, and as Grayson began to guide her away, all she could do was look back at Marcus with wide curious eyes.

Almost an hour later, Marcus was waiting on a terrace that he hadn’t known existed.It was strategically nestled into the architecture of the building and as he stool there, completely isolated from the busy nightlife of the Vegas strip, he felt sure that this spot had to be one of the best kept secrets in Vegas. It was beautiful and unusually secluded compared to all the other areas of the hotel. The terrace looked out over the large lake in front of the casino, but the water feature essentially blocked out the hustle and bustle of the strip. He felt completely alone, and with the exception of the Vegas skyline in the distance, he could almost imagine that they were on a terrace somewhere in Tuscany, rather than the middle of Las Vegas. He hadn’t known how Arlene had done it, but she had picked the absolute perfect place for them to exchange their vows.

Marcus had decided to use one of the tuxedos that had been brought for him and had been pleasantly surprised at how well it fit given that no one had asked for any of his sizes. His hand drifted to his pocket and he pulled out the diamond encrusted ring that he had selected for Abby. Even in the dim light of the terrace, it brilliantly sparkled and he knew without a doubt that Abby would love it. He had just slipped the ring safely back into his pocket when he heard the clicking of heels on the terra-cotta tile path that lead to the terrace.

When he looked up, he had been completely unprepared for the sight of Abby. She had chosen a long, elegant white gown with a beaded bodice that hugged her body in all the right places and her long chestnut locks had been tucked neatly into a loose bun at the nape of her neck. She looked absolutely breathtaking and he would forever be grateful that he had seen her before she had seen him, because it was those precious few seconds that would be forever imprinted on his brain. It was clear that Abby had been completely unprepared for what Marcus had arranged and as she looked down at the spot in which they would be married, her emotions had completely overwhelmed her. Arranging the last minute nuptials had been expensive, but seeing the look of pure astonishment and joy that had crossed her face had been worth every penny. When their eyes finally met, she smiled at him and he could see the tears of happiness in her eyes. He could feel the tears also gathering in his. It was so much more than either of them had ever hoped for and all it took was one look at his soon to be wife to know that this was the perfect moment that they had envisioned. For a moment, it was as if time had stopped. He couldn’t stop staring at her, his eyes dancing over her face even though he had memorized it years ago. She was still, and always would be, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but tonight she looked a little extra radiant.

When Abby finally made it down the stairs and walked over to him,there was so much he wanted to say but his throat had closed up. He had loved her since before he knew what love meant and the sudden realization that swept over him that this was real and not some fantasy stole the words from his mouth and the breath from his lungs.

* * *

After the ceremony, the minister had excused himself and after signing a few papers with Grayson, they found themselves alone on the terrace. Somewhere in the distance, there was soft music playing with a warm smile, Marcus reached out to his wife.

Abby smiled at the softness in his eyes and let her arms snake around his neck as she wordlessly stepped into his embrace. As they started to sway from side to side, she felt his hands drift down her body until finally coming to rest just above the small of her back, holding her gently right where he wanted her. For a moment, Abby just enjoyed how perfectly their bodies fit together, like they truly had been made for each other. They were alone in their own little universe and she was content to stay right there in his arms forever.This time belonged to them and it was so perfect that she wished that it could somehow last forever.

As Marcus held her close, she let her eyes slip closed. Her mind immediately drifting back to the ceremony, replaying it over and over in hopes of committing every detail to memory. It had all happened so quickly, and she didn’t want to forget. She wanted to remember every detail, the look in Marcus’s eyes when he spoke his vows, the way his hand felt in hers when she slipped the ring she had picked out for him on his finger, the tears that had gathered in both of their eyes when the minister had pronounced them husband and wife. There had been no witnesses, no cameras. Minus the minister, it had just been the two of them, so her memory was all she had to remember the moment in time where they had had promised to love each other for the rest of their lives.

Since the decision to get married had been a quick one, neither had prepared vows. Abby had assumed they would simply recite the traditional words, but when the time came, they both found themselves instead speaking from the heart… words of love, promises of forever. She didn’t quiet remember exactly what she had said, but Marcus’s words had been so eloquent, so moving, that they were already imprinted in her brain. 

Her favorite part had been the little smile that had danced on his face before he began to speak, the little hint of I can’t believe this is actually happening that she recognized behind his soft brown eyes. It was as if until that moment, he had doubted that this was really happening and the pure elation on his face was something she would never forget.

_“Abigail, I’ve never believed in soulmates or fate, but I don’t know how else to describe us. What we have… I don’t believe in much, but I believe in this, in you and me… in us. When you came into my life, you changed everything and somewhere along the way that beautiful soul of yours captured my heart. You are my best friend and the person I love most in the world. You’ve been with me through ever step of my life, loving me and supporting me unconditionally. I’m not sure if a lifetime is long enough to return all you have given to me, but I promise that I’ll spend the rest of my days by your side trying to be the man that you deserve. Abby, I love you and I promise that once I take your hand, I'll never let go.”_

His words echoing in her head, once again started to overwhelm her and just before all of her emotions could manifest in a tear large enough to spill out of her eye, Marcus’s lips kissed her forehead, bringing her back to reality.

A smile began to creep onto Marcus’s face as he looked down into the warm brown eyes that owned her heart.

“What’s going on in that beautiful brain of yours?” he asked, pulling her attention back to him. “You look like you’re deep in thought.”

“I was just thinking about us,” she said simply. “Marcus, we just got married.” She said breathlessly as her emotions again threatened to overwhelm her.

Marcus brought his hands up to cup her face, his thumb gently moving on her skin as her eyes again fluttered closed and he closed the distance between them, his forehead dropping to hers. “We did,” He whispered, his voice mirroring the astonished disbelief that was etched on her face.

“I still can’t believe you did all this so quickly.”

“It’s the best I could do on short notice.” Marcus admitted with a small smirk, knowing it had turned out better than either of them could have ever imagined. 

“Better than the Lucky Little Chapel?”

She released a breathy laugh as she beamed up at him.

“I don’t know. We could have had Wonder Woman perform the ceremony. I kind of feel like we missed out.” She teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“You’re such a liar.”

“It was perfect, Marcus.”

Marcus smiled, “It really was.”

“I love you, Abby.” He whispered as he held her close. He had said those words to her many times over their years together, but now it meant everything to him. He had waited for so long. She was truly the best thing that had ever happened to him and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was, and always would be, the brightest thing about his life.

“Marcus,” she murmured, this time pulling his attention back to her. “We’re married.” He softly laughed at the look on her face, her chestnut eyes bright and filled with a sort of childlike wonder Marcus rarely saw from the woman he could now call his wife.

“I know,” Marcus affirmed with a soft chuckle, his arms tightening around her waist, “I was there.”

“No, I know, it’s just…” She beamed, unshed tears gathering in her eyes. “You’re my husband.”

He couldn’t fight back a smile of his own. “And you’re my wife.” She released a shaky breath as the words washed over her.“Say it again..” 

“You’re my wife.” 

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get tired of hearing you say that.”

“Well, that’s a good thing, because I’m not sure I’ll ever get tired of saying it.” He grinned down at her, knowing how sappy they sounded, but he didn’t care.

“I’m glad we did it like this. I’m glad it was just you and me. I know Clarke is going to be disappointed that she missed it, and I’m sure Callie is going to be furious that we didn’t invite her, but I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way.”

“I agree.” He whispered.

“The only down side is I now owe Eric $500.” She said flatly causing Marcus to pull back and study her face. “Why’s that?”

“He bet me we’d be married by the end of the year.” Marcus’s face twisted into a triumphant grin.

“Did he?”

“Hmmm..”

“I always liked him. He’s a smart guy.. good head on those shoulders.”

“I don’t know. Sounds like I may have been hustled. Maybe he had some inside information.”

“Or maybe he just knew that you’d only be able to resist my charm for so long.”

Abby laughed, “Oh is that what we’re calling it now?”

“I knew I’d eventually wear you down.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“I am, but you love me anyway,” Marcus retorted.

“Always have and always will,” Abby agreed, leaning her head back so she could kiss him. Pulling away, moments later, she asked, “Wish we had done it sooner?”

He gently stroked her face with his thumb as he smiled softly down at her and shook his head. “No, I think this was the perfect timing for us.” Marcus said firmly making Abby’s smile widen. 

“I think it was too.”

"Me and you, right?"

"Me and you.”

“I love you, Abby.” He said again, knowing that he would never get tired of saying those three words to her. He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone or anything in his life and he knew that he would continue to love her and only her for the rest of his days. There had never been anyone else and he knew there never would be anyone that would own his heart the way that she did so effortlessly. His future, which had been entwined with hers for two-thirds of his life, was now officially their future, and he couldn’t be happier.

“I love you too,” Abby replied simply as her right hand slipped over his left, intertwining their fingers.

“Marcus..” 

“Hmmm”

“I think it’s time for you to take me upstairs.” 


	28. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby wake up to their new life together and Callie forces a conversation that Abby isn't ready to have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, decided to do one more installment of Marcus and Abby's time in Vegas. Things are about to get a little bumpy for our pair. As much as I love writing them blissfully happy, both Marcus and Abby are about to find themselves in the middle of a mess that neither of them saw coming. Aurora's about do drop a bomb on Abby and Marcus and we're going to start peeling back the layers of what is actually going on at Wallace.

When Abby opened her eyes, everything was peaceful and still. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but from the soft glow under the curtains, she assumed it was just before dawn. Her mind was still in that cloudy space between sleep and reality and for a moment, she wonder if it had all just been a vivid dream. It wouldn’t have been the first time she had dreamed of him and their future together. It wasn’t until she felt Marcus’s hand drift over her hip, the cool metal of his ring ghosting her skin, that she finally let herself believe it had been real.

His hand flatten against her body, his strong fingers softly pressing into her skin as they traced their way over the curve ofher hip, edging towards her inner thigh. Her body immediately responded to his touch, instantly craving more of the release that only he could bring. When his hand finally came to rest, low on her abdomen, just above where she was already desperate for him, his body stilled and his breathing returned to a slow and steady cadence. She wasn’t sure but the longer he remained still, the more she felt confident that he was still asleep. Part of her was a little disappointed but couldn't blame him for being exhausted. It had been almost 2am when they had finally tumbled through the doors of their suite, a blur of bodies and hot kisses, desperately clinging to each other like their survival depended on it. They hadn’t exactly gone straight to bed when they returned, well they did go to bed, but there was very little sleep, so between the marathon day, and night, she couldn’t blame him for still being dead to the world.

It was ok. They had all day together and then a life time after that. She could be patient for a little while longer. She did however, slowly turn in his arms so that she could at least stare at his handsome face but when she did, she found his warm brown eyes shining down at her.

“It’s early, why are you awake?” she whispered, her hand drifting up to stroke his soft bearded face. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I can’t stop thinking about last night. I think my mind is too excited to let me sleep. ”

“Well, it was pretty fantastic.” Marcus said wiggling his eye brows at Abby. Being together for the first time as a married couple had been more amazing than either of them had thought possible. The idea that from now on they belonged solely to each other, had ignited something within both of them and they had made love with an intensity that neither of them had ever experienced.

“It really was.” Abby hummed as she draped her leg over his hip, using his body as an anchor to pull herself closer to him. “I might even be up to a repeat performance now that I have few hours of sleep in me.”

She watched as he eyes grew dark and then felt the proof of his growing need low against her body.

“After all, it is our first official morning as husband and wife. I think it’s expected that we don't leave this room.”

“I can’t think of anything else that I’d rather do today that stay right here in this warm cozy bed with my gorgeous wife.”

“Hmmm…” Abby said mischievously as she pushed him back and straddled his bare body, “There is nothing I want more but if we don’t make it to breakfast, I’m pretty sure Callie is going to come hunt us down.” Marcus looked over at the clock beside the bed.

“It’s 6:30. Breakfast isn’t until 8:30. I think we have a little time.”

Abby leaned in closer and kissed him, feeling the softness of his lips, the gentle probing of his tongue.

“She’s going to be so mad at us,“ Abby said somewhat breathlessly between kisses.

“Totally worth it.” He murmured as Abby started to slowly work her body backwards over his stomach, sliding downward towards his hips. When she reached her goal, she wasted no time in positioning him and lowering herself onto him, his name falling reverently from her lips as the last of him disappeared inside of her.

Afterwards, they lay together, bodies intwined, as they both just enjoyed being in the arms of the other. As Marcus held her, he couldn't stop the his mind from dwelling on the enormous responsibility that he now felt. Up until that point, all he’d ever had to do was be enough for him, but now, he truly felt the need to protect her happiness and by extension, Clarke's. He knew it was somewhat foolish to have these feelings now, after all Abby had always been his focus. But now, it all felt different. In many ways they were still the same people they were yesterday, but now, they were also something more. He was now responsible for her and she for him and the reality of that was almost overwhelming.

Marcus wrapped his arms around her, so lost in her that he almost didn’t notice the intense light emerging in the distance.

“Close your eyes and turn around,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her cheek before helping turn her body to face the window beside the bed. When she was facing the opposite direction, Marcus moved forward so that his body was pressed warmly against her back. He wrapped his arm around her and dropped his head to her shoulder before whispering “Ok, you can look now” in her ear.

Through the gap in the curtains, the sun was rising over the mountains and together, they watched as the tiny yellow ball quickly grew in size and intensity, illuminating the world with rays of golden light. There was something so unspeakably symbolic about the scene before them, that they watched it for minutes in complete silence.

“It’s so beautiful” Marcus finally heard Abby’s sigh full of admiration. She turned back so she was facing him before reaching up and pressing a kiss to his lips.

“I don’t want to start this day.” She said sadly, frowning softly at him.

“Why’s that?”

“Because once we do, we’re back to real life. The day will start and then it will end and before we know it you’ll be back on a plane to Hawaii and I’ll be back in Arkadia, 2400 miles away from you.”

“Don’t think about it. Not yet. We have the entire day. I’d rather focus on the time we have. Everything else is a problem for tomorrow.” She nodded in agreement, but he could tell that she was already mentally preparing herself for their next goodbye.

“I’m sorry this has been so hard on you.”

“It’s fine Marcus. We’ll get through it.” He brushed her cheek softly as he frowned down at the look of sadness that was still lingering behind her eyes.

“I’ll talk with Indra and Sinclair on Monday.”

“About what?”

“About one of them finishing up the last leg of all of this.”

“Marcus..”

“No, when I agreed to all of this, I didn’t have a family at home. They both did. I volunteered so they didn’t have to be gone, but now I have a family too. It’s not fair to put you through another three months of this.”

“We’ll figure it out Marcus. I don’t want this to cause a problem between you and your partners.”

“It won’t. I’m not promising anything, but I’m going to try. I want to be home with you and Clarke. I want to be home with my family.”

As his eyes held hers, she could see the enormity of the love he felt for her and in that moment, she fell in love with him all over again. He placed a lingering kiss to her temple before leaning back onto the bed, gently pulling her with him so that they were back in each other’s arms enjoying the morning sun warming their skin.

* * *

“There you are!”

Abby looked up to see her friend taking a seat next to her at the table.

“Where’s your fiancé?” Callie said with twinkling eyes, looking around for Marcus.

“You mean my husband?” Abby corrected doing her best to keep her face flat and emotionless as she sipped her coffee.

Callie studied her for a moment, trying to decide if she had heard her correctly, but when she saw the corner of Abby’s lip tug up just slightly, Callie gasped as her brain put two and two together. “Oh my God!! You got married? Seriously?”

“Keep you voice down!” Abby hissed, looking around to see if anyone had heard her outburst. “You’re the only one that knows. Keep it down!”

“Is that why you two disappeared last night?”

Abby blushed as she nodded at her friend.

“Wait a minute.. Didn’t you just get engaged last night?”

“Yesterday afternoon, actually.”

“Oh! My mistake. If it had been last night, then an impromptu wedding would have been crazy, but if it was yesterday afternoon then that’s totally acceptable.” Abby’s face dropped as she eyed her friend, a little taken aback at her reaction.

“I thought you’d be happy for us.”

Callie’s face softened as she realized how Abby had taken her comment.

“Oh honey, I am! I’m ecstatic! I never understood why you married Jake when Marcus was so clearly your soulmate but what’s the rush? This isn’t like either of you. He’s too much of a planner and you’ve never been one for quick…” She stopped and surveyed Abby.

“Holy shit! You're pregnant!”

Marcus had just walked up to the table when Callie’s words hit him like a ton of bricks.His mouth immediately dropped open and his wide eyes shot to Abby's.”

“Are you?” Marcus questioned as the corner of his mouth started to lift upward, his eyes twinkling as if he had just been given an amazing gift.

Abby released an aggregated breath, mentally cursing Callie for her assumption and the horrible timing of it all. She frowned first at her friend before turning her attention to her stunned husband.“Marcus, sit down,” Abby commanded a little harsher than she had intended. Seeing the confusion on his face, she softened, knowing her frustration was with her friend, not her husband. “I’m not pregnant.” She said firmly, doing her best to temper her annoyance with the need to protect Marcus’s heart. It had only taken two seconds for the hope to register behind his eyes and she tried not dwell on the realization that they had never had a very important conversation. One that a couple really needs to have before walking down the aisle together. Later, she told herself.

“Are you sure?” Callie pushed, causing Abby to shoot daggers at her friend.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice how you didn’t visit the open bar last night..”

“Callie, I’m not. Drop it.”

Abby saw the flash of disappointment on his Marcus’s face as her words registered, but it only took a moment for him to bury his reaction deep inside of him. _Damn it, Callie.._

She reached under the table to find Marcus’s hand, quickly giving it a squeeze before continuing.

“We just didn’t want to wait, Cal. There is no reason other than that.”

If Callie had seen the exchange of looks between Marcus and Abby, she wisely ignored it. “I just can’t believe you didn’t think to call me. I sure hope you didn’t use an Elvis impersonator because if you did and I missed it.. I’ll never forgive you.” Callie teased as she took a sip of her drink.

Abby rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her toast. “I’m really sorry we didn’t call Cal. It all just happened so fast.”

“Yeah, yeah…” She said, waiving her hand dismissively with a wide grin. “Ok, let’s hear all about it. I need details. Don’t leave anything out.”

* * *

Later that night, after another round of love making, Marcus held Abby close. She had been unusually quiet all day, and he could tell that at that moment she was lost in her head. Her fingers were tracing patterns idly across his skin while his hands ran up and down her back, tangling into her hair, gently stroking the soft strands gently. He was trying to give her the time she needed to process whatever it was that was going on in her head, but he could tell that something was bothering her. The longer she stayed quiet, the more it began to concern him. He knew her well enough to know when she was contently quiet verses when something was wrong and it definitely felt like the latter to him at the moment. 

Finally, when he couldn’t take it any longer, he dropped his head to hers and whispered, “Ok, What’s wrong?”

“Nothings wrong. Just thinking.”

“That’s not your thinking face Abby. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were having second thoughts..” She looked up at him, shaking her head as she offered him a small smile.

“Marrying you was the easiest decision I've ever made."

“Then tell me what’s wrong.”

“I can’t hide anything from you can I?”

“I don’t want you to.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing.”

For a moment, she remained quiet, trying to decide if she really wanted to have this discussion now. She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t shake the look that she had seen on Marcus's face that morning. He had been disappointed, truly disappointed, which meant that it had been something that he wanted. He wanted something that she didn’t know she could give him and the reality of that kicked off a panic in her that she couldn’t let go.

She knew how he felt, what he wanted. What she didn't know was how she really felt. It had only been about six weeks since she had miscarried and at the moment, she wasn’t even sure she ever wanted to go down that road again, but that was so unfair to him. She could see the concern in his eyes and knew that there was no use in putting this off. It was one of the few times she hated how well he could read her so she closed her eyes, and swallowed hard as she began,

“I was just thinking about this morning. About Callie’s little comment.”

He studied her for a moment, not quite understanding where she was going with this, so he just nodded, waiting for her to continue at the speed at which she was comfortable.

“Do you remember when we were kids, we would spend hours in that tree house of yours staring up at the sky?”

Marcus smiled at the memory, “Of course. As I remember things, you spent more time up there than I did.” He gently teased hoping to make her smile.

“When we talked about our futures, there were always two things that never changed for you. Two things that, if you could accomplish them, you’d be happy. Do you remember?”

Suddenly it clicked and he knew where she was going before the words left her mouth.

“Is that what this is about? Abby..It’s ok.”

“No, it’s not. You want something that I can’t give you. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at Clarke. I saw it this morning. For a brief moment, when you thought that I.." She blinked hard trying to fight back the tears that were stinging her eyes. "I saw the look on your face. Marcus. You want this.. You always have but I may not be able to..” The words started to get stuck in her throat. “I just mean, it may not ever happen for me and you deserve to have that. To experience that. What if I can’t give that to you?”

“Abby, stop.”

“I want another baby Marcus and I want to share that experience with you. I want to watch you try and change diapers. I want to come down stairs and find you on the couch asleep with a little baby on your chest. A tiny babythat is a little piece of me and a little piece of you.” Tears were streaming down her face as she tried to find the words to express what she was feeling.

“Abby, look at me.” He said softly, his finger under he chin forcing her eyes to his.

“I won’t lie and say that I’ve never thought about it. I have. I’ve always wanted to share that with you, but it isn’t a deal breaker for me.” Her face crumpled at his words.

“You say that now..”

“Don’t do that. It’s not fair. ”

“Marcus, you want to be a father. You always have. What happens when I can’t carry another child and you end up resenting me like Jake did. I can’t go through that again. I can't lose you.”

“I’m not Jake, Abby.” She looked up at him biting her lip to keep it from shaking. “And as for being a father, I already am. You know damn well that I have loved Clarke like my own daughter since the day she was born. From the first time that I held her in my arms and felt her wrap her hand around my pinky, she’s had my heart, just like her mom. She may not be my biological child, but in every other way that matters..Abby I love you and I love Clarke. You two are my life and you are all that I will ever need.” He smiled at her the way he always did when he was able to acknowledge his true feelings for her.

She looked up at him, unsure that he truly understood the future that she couldn’t give him.

“Abby, I’m serious. I don’t want to be with you because of some future that may or may not happen. I want to be with you because I love you and if this is it for us, then I’m happy. You have been and will always be enough. How do you not understand this by now. Nothing could every make me stop loving you, so please get those thoughts out of your head.Ok?”

She nodded, but the tears continued to fall. He closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms a little tighter around her body. “Abby it’s ok. I promise.”

He just held her, knowing that there was nothing he could say to help her in that moment. He had reassured her the best he could and she just needed to ride out her emotions.After a few minutes, her breathing returned to normal and he felt her body relax in his arms.

Abby finally looked up at him, making his heart clinch at the sight of her. Even with puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks, she was so incredibly beautiful. Without another word, she reached around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers, kissing him with an urgency that briefly made him wonder if she was truly ok. “You’re enough Abby.” He whispered into her neck, answering the question that he was almost sure was still lingering just below the surface. He felt a shaky breath leave her but when his eyes again met hers, he could see that at least for the moment, she believed him.


	29. Birthdays and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Abby's birthday weekend and Aurora pays Marcus a visit.

It was too early to be awake, especially for a Saturday. As soon as Abby had opened her eyes and seen the dark room, she had tried to force herself back to sleep, but an hour later she was still obnoxiously awake. With a frustrated huff, she turned towards Marcus’s side of the bed, her hand reaching out to his empty spot and drifting over the cold sheets. She sighed knowing it would still be a week before he would be home. Originally, this was the weekend he was supposed to visit, but there had been some issue with one of the installations. It had to be addressed after hours, as to not disrupt daily operations, so unfortunately he had been forced to push his visit back one more week. She wasn’t angry with him. It was out of his control, she knew that, but understanding didn’t stop the disappointment she felt. She missed him. It was as simple as that. The only bright side had been that he would be home for Halloween. Clarke had been so excited that he would be there to take her trick or treating that she hadn't even minded adding another week to her Marcus count down calendar. For that at least, Abby had been thankful.

It had been almost three weeks since they had said their goodbyes in Las Vegas and just as they had each time before, Marcus and Abby quickly fell back into their daily rhythm. They usually talked four times a day via Face Time. Once, first thing in the morning, when Clarke was about to leave for school, then again briefly when Abby took her lunch break. Around 7:30 pm, Marcus would spend about fifteen minutes listening to Clarke relay the events of her day. He would then read her a quick bedtime story before saying good night. Afterwards, he would give Abby about an hour to get Clarke settled in bed and organize herself for the next day before he would call again around 9pm her time. Occasionally, he would still be at the office when he called, but most nights he would be back in his apartment, either making dinner or sitting out on his balcony watching the ocean. Abby would tell him about her day while he ate his dinner, and then he would tell her about his while she settled into bed for the night. It had become their little routine and her absolute favorite time of the day. Those evening hours were just for them, no Clarke, no distractions. It wasn’t the same as having him there physically, but falling asleep to his voice each night was almost enough to stay off her loneliness. 

As her feet hit the floor, a shiver run through her body. Fall had definitely arrived in Arkadia and with it, cooler temperatures. Pushing herself up off the bed, she padded quickly to the closet to retrieve one of her fleece pull overs. For a moment, she stood staring at her side of the closet, her fingers mindless moving from one item to the next but then she turned to face Marcus's side. Her eyes quickly landed on her favorite of his sweatshirts and she smiled, knowing that despite his fondness for the garment, he had left it there for her. Even though he had not worn the shirt in months, it still held a hint of his cologne and before she could stop herself, she pressed the soft material to her nose, letting the reminder of him work its way through her senses. She had hoped that it would make her feel better, but instead, it was just another reminder that he wasn’t there. She had woken up in a funk and knew she was just letting her emotions get the better of her, but she couldn’t help it. Marcus wouldn’t be home for another six days. Clarke was with Jake for the weekend. Callie had to work and she was going to be completely alone…on her birthday. She tried to give herself a little grace. Given the situation, she was allowed to feel a little down. Once she talked with Marcus, she knew she’d feel better, but glancing down at her watch she noted that it would still be a few hours before she would hear his voice.

She slipped his shirt over her body, grabbed her phone, and walked downstairs. She was really in need of some strong coffee, but when she started up the coffee maker, she realized that all that was in the house was decaf, so she settled on tea. With a large cup of the warm liquid in one hand and her favorite plush throw blanket in the other, she walked out on the screen porch to watch the sunrise. She needed to get her head in a better place and she figured what better way to do it than curled up in her favorite spot. Well, her second favorite spot. Her absolute favorite was asleep in a bed 2400 miles away.

As she settled into the swing, she tucked her legs under her body and pulled the blanket snugly around her. Her eyes drifted to the lake and a soft smile crossed her face as she started to see the first rays of light penetrating the dense trees, turning the stillness of the night into a peaceful morning. The birds were out, gracefully gliding low across the lake and she closed her eyes for a moment, listening to their soft chirps echoing off the tress. With each passing minute, the light continued to grow in intensity and Abby watched as the vibrant hues of the leaves come to life around her. She felt her mood lift a little and knowing how much Marcus loved the reflection of the changing leaves on the water, she grabbed her phone and snapped a quick picture. She dropped it into a text message with the message _The only thing missing is you_ and hit send before she could change her mind. She hadn’t expected a response given that it was 4:30 in the morning in Honolulu but before she could set her phone back done, a video call request popped up on her screen.

“There’s my birthday girl..” Marcus said drowsily, smiling softly at her as he wiped the sleep from his eyes with his free hand.

“Oh Marcus, I didn’t mean to wake you up.” She apologized, frowning as she observed the dark circles under his eyes. He had been working crazy hours all week and she felt awful for disrupting his slumber. “Go back to sleep.”

“You didn’t wake me..” He yawned, settling on his side as he propped the phone against a pillow so he could look at her.

“Mmm.. that wild hair of yours paints a very picture, Mr. Kane.”

“What time is it anyway?”

“Too early.. I couldn’t sleep, so I came out to watch the sunrise. It was just too beautiful not to share. I wanted you to see what you were missing.”

“I know what I’m missing.” He grinned, his eyes still blinking the last of his sleepiness away.

“Oh yeah..”

“Yeah, I’m looking at her.” Abby bit her lip, to keep from laughing at his early morning attempts at flirting.

“Smooth…”

“I thought so,” He chuckled.

“I’m really sorry I’m not there on your birthday.”

“You’ll just have to make up it up to me next weekend.”

“Oh, I intend to. A month is entirely too long to be away from my wife.”

“When do you have to be in the office?” Abby asked, her face blushing slightly at the plans she had for him once they were back in the same bed.

Marcus stretched and looked at this watch. “I told Nate I’d be there by about 7. Hopefully, we’ll be done by 3 or so.” Abby nodded as she took a sip of her tea.

“How about you? What do you have planned?”

“Honestly, I’ve not really gotten that far. I still need to read through those reports you sent me.”

“Oh God.. Don’t waste your time with that today. It’s your birthday.”

Abby shrugged her shoulders. "It's as good of a time as any. It’s quiet and Clarke’s not here to distract me. Probably won’t take me more than a few hours.”

“Well, if you do, great, but please don’t make it a priority.”

“No, I’ve put it off long enough. I need to get into it.. see what you've gotten yourself into." She gave him a small frown, matching the one that had appeared on his face. "Have you made any more progress on figuring out who's accessing the files?”

“Not really. Who ever is doing this is smart. I thought we had it, but who ever set it up added a protocol to clone the digital footprint, so when we tried to trace the address, it wasn’t possible to isolate the terminal. I tried to adjust the program to compensate, but all I was able to figure out is that the files aren't being opened. They're being duplicated and then transferred to a different location off the network.”

“So, it’s a dead end?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a dead end. More of a stumbling block. I’m not ready to give up yet.”

* * *

It had taken Abby eight hours to read through all the documents. She hadn’t intended on spending half her day dissecting the reports, but once she started, she just couldn’t stop. Unlike the first report she had read, most of what she had this time were snap shots of ongoing research, emails between co workers, progress reports. There was nothing in the first three reports that pointed to anything remotely nefarious, so it begged the question, why were these reports embedded and protected to the extent that they had been. From what Marcus had explained, Wallace already went to great extents to protect their internal data, so the extra steps that had been taken to protect these particular files really made little sense to her. Figuring that she had missed something, she read and then reread each one with a fine tooth comb, looking for anything that pointed to something out of the ordinary. It wasn’t that she was hoping to find signs of illegal activities, but she found it very hard to believe that the one research study had been an isolated event.

The fourth report that she read confirmed what she already suspected. Wallace was definitely continuing the clinical trial that the FDA had pulled approval for. This document was from a different facility in a different region, so the fact that the same research was continuing in a totally different area of the company just confirmed that the decision to go against the FDA had been an intentional one.

It had been the fifth file that had been of most interest to Abby. It had been the one that had kept her glued to the couch, scribbling details on sticky notes and researching different pathogens for the last four hours. From what she could tell, there were four different groups of researchersworking on the development of a vaccine, but for the life of her she couldn’t tell what it was for. There were pages upon pages detailing infection models and rates of transmission. There was information about controlling viral loads and expected mutations, discussions on how specific variations would effect different populations around the globe. There were long email strings that discussed different models of transmission and how they could be controlled. The more she read, the more it didn't make sense to her. She couldn’t find a single detail that told her what infectious disease they were trying to eradicate.

When her eyes could no longer focus on the task at hand, she closed her laptop and gently tossed it on the cushion beside her. She leaded back against the couch, her hand covering her eyes as she released an exhausted breath. Part of her was relieved that she hadn’t really found anything incriminating, well nothing new at least,but a larger part of her remained highly suspicious of what was going on in the research facilities working under the Wallace umbrella. She couldn't explain it, but she had a bad feeling about all of this and given that her husband and his company were now involved, she was determined to get to the bottom of what was happening...good or bad. 

She knew she needed more information and was at least thankful that she had an idea which labs to focus on. Reaching out beside her, she grabbed her phone and sent a quick message to Marcus letting him know she had finished reading and asking what time he was going to be done at work. She had just hit send on the text when the doorbell rang. From her spot on the couch, she could see the front door and much to her surprise, she recognized the familiar body behind the beveled glass.

“Raven?” Abby asked, her mouth falling open at the sight of Marcus’s assistant loaded down with two very large bags, a fist full of balloons and a bouquet of her favorite flowers.

“Little help!” The young brunette squeaked out as she tried to keep from dropping everything she was holding.

“Raven, what is all of this?” Abby laughed, taking the flowers and one of the bags from Raven's arms. 

“A little birdie may have told me it was your birthday today.”

Abby hummed, knowing that this had Marcus written all over it. She held the door open for Raven and followed her into the kitchen.

“It’s Saturday. I’m going to have to yell at him for abusing his assistant. I’m sure you had better things to do than run all of this over here.”

“Pish, I was happy to do it. Besides, I’d do anything for the woman that has kept a permanent smile on that man’s face for the last few months.” Abby blushed at the comment and turned to see if she could find a vase for the flowers.

“These are gorgeous Raven.”

“I’m glad you like them. It was actually a little harder than I thought to find white roses this time of year.” Abby nodded as she filled the container with water and quickly arranged the flowers.

“Well, you did a fantastic job. They’re beautiful."

After arranging the bags on the counter, Raven reached in and pulled out a red envelope, handing it to Abby as she pulled her car keys from her pocket. “Marcus said to make sure you read the card first and not to peek in the bags until you do.”

“Did he?” Abby chuckled, turning the thick envelope over in her hands.

“He was very clear.”

“You’re a saint for putting up with him.” Abby smirked, giving a knowing smile to Raven.

“He keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure, but I love working for him. He’s a great guy, Abby. Of course, look who I’m talking to. You know that.”

“I do.” Abby confirmed with a soft smile. Abby breathed in deeply, unable to ignore the wonderful aromas escaping from the bags.

“Would you like to stay and have dinner with me? It looks like he had you pick up a feast.”

“That’s really sweet of you, but I’m actually headed back downtown to meet my boyfriend. Besides, I’m pretty sure Marcus wanted to have dinner alone with you tonight. ”

Abby’s head tilted as she processed what Raven had said. “Dinner together huh?” Abby smiled as her mind started to wonder if he was going to surprise her again with an unannounced visit.

“Yup, he just said to make sure I had all of this delivered by 6pm and for you to read the envelope before you did anything else.”

After a few minutes of exchanging pleasantries, Abby walked Raven to the door and watched as the girl walked down the sidewalk to her car. Once Raven was out of sight, Abby returned to the kitchen to started to unpack the bags. She was tempted to go ahead and peek in each box, but decided to do as she was asked and read the card first. Inside, neatly written in Marcus's handwriting, were detailed instructions on which boxes to open and in what order. She placed all the boxes on the table and was just about to open the first one when her phone rang.

All it took was one look at his surroundings to realize that there would be no surprise visit this time. He was clearly in his apartment and Abby did her best to hide her disappointment.

“Did Raven come by yet?” He smirked knowing full well that she had.

“Marcus, you didn't need to do all of this.” Abby said, panning the phone over the boxes spread out on the dining room table.

“I know I didn't, but I wanted to. I wish I could be there to take you to dinner, but I'm afraid this is the best I can do right now.”

Marcus had arranged to have the same meal as Abby's delivered to his apartment. The entrees were, of course, from different restaurants, but it was the thought that counted. After dinner, complete with Abby’s favorite chocolate cake with hazelnut frosting, Abby gathered her last three boxes and moved to the living room.

“Open the white one, first.” Marcus instructed, beaming at her through the screen of her laptop.

Slowly, she slid the ribbon off the long slender box and as she opened the lid,she saw an airplane ticket.

“What’s this?” she questioned pulling the thick card from the box and seeing Kahului Airport in Maui as the destination.

“Maui?”

“I got some insider information. Found a perfect spot for us to disappear to for a few days.”

“I'm listening.”

“We get our own private villa including a little pool, and access to a private beach. Just you, me and the ocean.”

“That’s all I need.”

“When you come out, I figured we’d spend three days in Maui and then we’ll come back here on Wednesday so we can meet Raven when she brings Clarke out."

Abby looked at the dates on the card and let out a small sigh. “Oh Marcus, I’m not sure I can be gone all week.”

“Clarke’s going to be with Jake for Thanksgiving right?”

“She is, but I have to work. I only requested Wednesday through Sunday off. I’m not sure I can get three more days approved, especially during a holiday week. It was hard enough to get the days I asked for originally.”  
“It’s already done,” He said flatly, bracing for what he already knew was coming. As expected, her eyes narrowed. 

“What do you mean it’s already done?”

“Don’t be mad,” he started, watching as Abby’s lips pull into a thin line at his choice of words.

“What did you do?”

“I may have had Jackson help me arrange for you to have the extra days off.” He smiled tensely at her, knowing how much she didn’t like anyone interfering with her work life.

“You know Jake tried to do something like this once.”

“And it was a disaster, I remember vividly.”

“I missed a surgery! I almost lost my job.”

Abby held his gaze for a moment, shaking her had at his cocky smile and his twinkling eyes.

“You’re a brave man.”

“I know better than to piss you off..”

“Let’s hope.”

“I promise Jackson assured me he took care of everything. He triple checked your schedule to make sure you didn’t have any surgeries scheduled and had all of your shifts covered."

"How in the world did you get HR to agree to this? My signature has to be on the request."

"Eric may have told them it was for our honeymoon. That I was trying to surprise you."

Abby let out a little laugh as she shook her head. "Marcus.."

"Go in on Monday, make sure everything is clear on your schedule. I promise, Eric was careful. You have nothing to worry about. Just get on the plane and make sure you pack the item in the pink box. That’s all I ask.”

Abby picked up the present that he had just mentioned and played with the binding the box, noting the store's logo on the delicate ribbon. “Please tell me you didn’t have your assistant go to Victoria’s Secret for me.”

Marcus pressed his lips together, shaking his had slowly. “No, I would never trust her with such an important decision.” Abby blushed as she imagined him picking out what he wanted to see on her.

An hour later, with all of her presents opened, Abby was curled up on the couch, snuggled up under a thick blue blanket discussing the week ahead. She told him that Clarke had decided to be Elsa for Halloween and had spent almost the entire previous week trying to get her to order Marcus an Olaf costume. Clarke desperately wanted Marcus to be her sidekick while they walked the neighborhood and if Abby was honest, the thought of the two of them walking together in tandem costumes was almost too amusing to pass up. Marcus begged Abby not to give in, but she knew, as well as he did, that if she bought the costume for him, he would wear it. The conversation finally drifted to what Abby had found in the files that afternoon. Marcus had listened intently as Abby reviewed what she had found. Though he didn’t quite understand what had Abby so intrigued, he trusted her and if it bothered her, then it bothered him.

“So can you get me a few more files from those two labs?”

“Yeah, I’ll put Nate on it.”

“So, what now?”

“Well, we were actually working on isolating the network that the files are being transferred to this afternoon but we hit another road block. Actually, we almost made a huge mistake."

"How's that?"

"Well, we thought we had the IP isolated, but it ended up being a honeypot.”

Abby’s lips twisted into a small smirk at the choice of words.

“A honey pot? Like Winnie the Pooh?”

He rolled his eyes, “God, you’re hopeless. A honeypot is a trap Abby. It’s a decoy that’s set up to look like the real thing, but when an outside entity taps into it, it releases a program to figure out who the intruder is. Thankfully, we were able to disconnect the computer from the network before it could take control of our device but we may have tipped someone off. Like I said earlier, whoever is doing this is smart. Under any other circumstances, I’d be trying to figure out who set it up so I could hire them.”

* * *

Monday morning had arrived much too soon and despite the fact that it was 10am, Marcus’s day had already been somewhat of a disaster. He and Abby had stayed up late the night before talking, and at some point both of them had fallen asleep before ending the call. Unfortunately, Marcus had forgotten to set his alarm and by the time his eyes had finally blinked open, the morning light was already filling the room. With a few choice words, he had jumped out of bed and showered as quickly as he could. He had briefly checked in with Abby while he made his coffee and by 8:05am he was stepping onto the elevator. He thanked God that the obnoxious woman in 702 wasn't waiting for him in the elevator. Every day, she seemed to be there when the doors opened and she was always trying to set him up with her daughter. Marcus had repeatedly told the woman that he had a very serious girlfriend back in California, but the woman had remained relentless in her efforts. Even when he had returned from Vegas with a wedding ring on his finger, the woman eyed him like somehow he was making the entire thing up. Honestly, he couldn’t wait until Abby’s visit at Thanksgiving just so he could walk into the building with her on his arm and finally put to rest any doubt that she was real.

As he stepped off the elevator, he sent a quick message to Nate that he would be a little late and had just made the final turn towards the parking garage, when a younger woman, who was more interested in her phone than her surroundings, plowed into him. She had shrieked as she her phone dropped to the phone, more concerned with the device than the fact that she had just caused Marcus to spill his scalding hot coffee all over his crisp white shirt and khaki pants. The woman glared at him as if it had all been his fault, muttering something under her breath before storming off without an apology. He had wanted to yell something back at her, but instead swallowed down his frustration and retreated to the elevator with a loud grunt. Twenty minutes later, he returned to the lobby in a fresh set of clothes. He made it to his car without further incident, but then he ran into an accident on the H1 that had brought traffic to a stand still. It was 10:00 am when he finally made it to his office. Marcus was usually a pretty laid back boss, but his staff knew him well enough to know that when he was angry it was best to steer clear. When he walked off the elevator towards his office, it had only taken one look for most of his staff to realize that today was going to be one of those days where they needed to leave him alone. “Conference room.10:30” he barked out before pushing the door open to his office and slamming it roughly behind him. Marcus had hoped to have a few minutes to calm himself, knowing that his anger wouldn't make the day any better, but unfortunately sitting behind his desk was the one person he had been desperately trying to avoid since his arrival in Hawaii.

“Well, someone is having a shitty Monday.” Aurora quipped, leaning back against his desk and running her eyes up and down his body.

“Aurora, sorry. It’s been..” He ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out why she was there. 

“It’s been a rough start. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that we had an appointment.” She pushed away from the desk and slowly approached him. She reached out, straightening his tie before allowing her hand to flatten on his chest. She started to slowly trace the contours of his torso, but he stepped back roughly, deliberately putting space between them, his eyes warning her stop.

“We didn’t.” She said frankly, walking past him and dropping into one of the chairs across from his desk. Marcus exhaled, tossing his keys on surface of his desk before moving behind it to sit. “Then what can I do for you? I don’t mean to be rude, but I really need to review somethings before my meeting with Russell this afternoon. Obviously, I’m already way behind on my day.”

She bobbed her head and then sat back in the chair and crossed her legs, letting Marcus know that she had no intention on being dismissed or rushed.

“Well, in a way, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about.” Marcus watched as she started to finger her necklace, something that she used to do when she was nervous.

“Listen, I’m here off the books ok? As a friend.”

Marcus scoffed at her choice of words.

“I highly doubt that,” he dripped, unable to keep a scowl from growing on his face.

“Oh come on, Marcus. Are we really not past all of that yet?” Marcus pressed his lips together, his fists clenching against his thighs in a flash of irritation.

“Aurora, I really have work to do so if there is something you need to say, please just get on with it. I'm not in the mood for your games today.”

“Fine,” she spat bluntly, dropping the chain of her necklace on to her chest, her normally warm eyes suddenly dark and stony. “You need to stop looking into the files you found in the data transfers.” Marcus blinked at her, silently observing the hardness of her face as he processed her words.  
“I.. What files?”

“Don’t do that, Marcus. It’s not your style.”

He leaned back in his chair, his hands interlocking behind his head as he eyed her.

Everything was suddenly so clear that he wondered how he had missed it. Every layer of encryption, the random cycling of IP address used to hide servers. Those were all skills Aurora had in her bag of tricks and his heart lurched at the realization that she was somehow involved.

“You wrote the code.” He said harshly, his voice dripping with disapproval. 

“Did it really not occur to you that it might be me?”

“Aurora, do you have any idea what’s in those files?”

“That’s not my business. I’m paid to make sure information stays secure.”

“Really? Because I was under the impression that was my job!" Marcus growled coldly, his frustration flaring. Marcus’s life, as well as that of half his staff, had been completely uprooted to facilitate this upgrade and the thought that somehow they were all just pawns in a game stirred anger with in him.

“Marcus, listen to me. You need to drop this and forget you ever found it. You’re here because you’re good at what you do and Wallace needed an upgrade.You were the right firm for the job and I made sure that they knew it. What I’m working on. This is.. this isn’t within the scope of your work. Leave it alone. Please.”

“I strongly disagree with that statement Aurora. I was hired to secure a network. How am I supposed to do that when you’re undermining everything I’m trying to do?”

“Marcus, just…” She leaned forward, her eyes boring into his as her face softened.

“Just do your job and I’ll do my best to stay out of the way, but you need to drop this. Get rid of the files you’ve printed and forget you ever saw any of this.”

"How did you know I printed anything?"

Aurora just stared at him, her eyes pleading with him to listen.

“Wow, Abby was right..” He seethed as he watched Aurora’s face harden at the mention of Abby’s name.

“Oh yeah, how’s that?”

“You’re always in it for the payday. You don’t care about any one or anything else. You’d sell your soul to the devil himself as long as the price was right.”

Her face twisted at his words and he could tell that he had touched a nerve. Though he could tell she was furious, he couldn’t help but notice the tears that were gathering in her eyes. She walked silently over to the window, staring out at the city below as she dropped her hands to her waist and took a few long breaths. “This isn’t about money, Marcus.”

“I'm not an idiot Aurora. That is exactly what this is about. It always is with you. The information you’re hiding for them.. this is serious. There are some very illegal activities happening in some of those labs and if you’re involved in covering this up..”

“They have my daughter, Marcus,” she blurted out suddenly, turning to face him with tears streaming down her face.

Marcus’s eye brows knit together, confusion clouding his face.

“What do you mean they have your? When did you have a baby?”

"About four and a half years ago." She spat defiantly at him, watching as his mind started to do the math.


	30. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby work through Aurora's little announcement and come up with a plan to move forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks so much for reading and for your comments. I love reading them! :)   
> A huge THANK YOU to Zivitz for the beta on this one!

“Marcus, stop telling me you’re okay. It’s pretty clear that you aren’t.”

Abby studied Marcus intently, knowing his tendency to bury his emotions, especially the unpleasant ones. She was the person that he would actually open up to, but sometimes even she had to carefully coax him from his shell.

“Marcus, please don’t shut me out,” she pleaded softly, trying her best to keep her voice as gentle and reassuring as possible.

“What do you want me to say, Abby? That this is great news?” Marcus finally choked out, his eyes only briefly meeting hers before he dropped in head into his hands. She heard him release a jagged breath and could tell by the way his fingers pressed mercilessly into his skull that he was somewhere between fury and heartbreak. Abby sighed, wishing she was there to wrap her arms around him. Her body ached with the need to touch him, to reach out and gather him in her arms the way he usually did with her. He needed the physical reassurance, but her words were the only tools currently at her disposal. She hadn’t seen him this upset in a very long time and it absolutely gutted her that she was a half an ocean away from him. 

Though it killed her to do it, she gave him the space he needed to gather himself. For someone that was so skilled at taking care of her, so in tune with her emotional needs, it had always amazed her how much he instinctually internalized his own feelings. It was as if he didn’t think he was worthy of unburdening himself, even though she had spent the better part of her life trying to convince him that it wasn’t true.

“What the fuck was she thinking keeping something like this from me?” He dropped his hands and grimaced, shaking his head as he tried to wrap his mind around his new reality. 

“Marcus, look at me.” It took a moment, but his heavy eyes finally drifted up to hers. 

“We’ll figure it out ok? You and me. Just like we always do.” He nodded slowly, though she could still see the relentless doubt that clouded his features.

“How are you not upset?” He finally muttered and for a moment she studied him, trying to decide if he had really expected her to explode at the news or if he was simply overreacting. 

“Oh, honey, I’m beyond upset.” She admitted bitterly. “Aurora should be very thankful that we’re in different states right now, but Marcus, at the moment I don’t care about her. I only care about you and what you’re feeling. I’ll deal with her later.” She tried to offer him a small smile, but he barely responded. She could tell how deeply bothered he still was. How absolutely blindsided he had been by Aurora’s little announcement. Aurora had never been her favorite person, but this little stunt definitely placed her on Abby’s top five most hated person list. 

“What else did she say?” She finally asked, gently urging him to talk and not retreat into his mind. He opened his mouth to respond, but she could see he was having trouble forming words. 

“Marcus, take a breath.” He closed his eyes and flopped back against the couch, his hand roughly moving over his face and he released the breath he hadn’t known he had been holding.

“Um, her name’s Octavia. She’s four.”

“Did she tell you why she kept this from you?” His jaw set into a hard line as he nodded, bitterness evident on his face at the situation.

“She was seeing him, on the side. Back when we were together she was with him too.” He trailed off with a shake of the head.

“Who?”

He grimaced as his eyes flicked to hers. “Cage Wallace.” The name hung in the air for a few moments, lingering and having the same impact on Abby as it had Marcus earlier.

“Cage Wallace? Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“So I’m guessing that’s how she ended up here?” 

“It’s why she left in such a hurry. She had just found out she was pregnant and based on the conception window thought it was his. So, she just left. Came with him here. She’s been working at Wallace ever since.”

“We sure know how to pick them don’t we?” Abby said sadly, understanding the pain of betrayal though his situation was somewhat different. 

“Guess that’s what I get for trying to date anyone other than you,” Marcus whispered, making her heart simultaneously break and melt for him.

“I guess there was always a little seed of doubt that maybe she was wrong and it wasn’t Cage’s but he hadn’t known about me, so she didn’t want to rock the boat.” 

“You mean she went for the deeper bank account instead of pursuing the truth.” Marcus grimaced sadly, knowing it was true. 

“So, when did that change? When did she decide that she was yours?”

“A few years ago. Something about blood type. Octavia is an O- and I guess Cage is an AB.” He waved his hand, rolling his eyes as he tried to remember what Aurora had told him. 

Abby nodded in understanding. “If Octavia is an O type, then yeah, that would definitely exclude Cage. Does he know? That she’s not his?” Marcus shook his head. ”He has no idea and as far as Octavia is concerned, he’s her father.” 

“Great,” Abby smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “I’ve always wanted to be on Jerry Springer.”

“Don’t make jokes now.” He frowned, but she could see in his eyes that it was helping to lighten the mood. She held up her hands in defeat. “Sorry, I couldn’t pass it up. I’m confused though. What does any of this have to do with the files? Why was she telling you to leave them alone?”

“Aurora’s the one embedding the files for Cage.”

“Of course she is.” Abby groaned, silently cursing herself for not suspecting her earlier. She had never liked the fact that Aurora was involved in their lives again and it made so much sense that her hands were deep in the cookie jar once again. “So, he’s the one behind all of this.”

“Yeah, I didn’t get all the details, but you were right with some of your suspicions. She didn’t want to tell me too much, but it’s not good. She knows what she’s protecting. She kept telling me that I really needed to destroy anything that I have that is connected with the data transfers and forget I ever saw it.” He frowned over at Abby, knowing full well that neither of them could just walk away from this.

“After Octavia was born, Cage started having Aurora work on some things for him, some side projects he was in charge of within the company. She insisted that she didn’t know what was going on initially. Once she found out what he was doing, she said she tried to stop but he wouldn’t let her. She said she tried to confront him once about a year ago, but he told her that if she opened her mouth or tried to leak anything, then she’d never see her daughter again.”

“But if she’s not even his, then she shouldn’t have a problem proving it. I can’t imagine he’d be able to keep her from her daughter if he’s not even the biological father.”

“That’s what I said, but I guess he’s really attached to Octavia, as is his father. She said she’s seen enough to know that they’ll destroy her if she doesn’t just comply.”

“So what changed? Why tell you now if she’s too scared to try and leave or quit?”

Marcus shrugged his shoulder. “I don’t think she meant to tell me honestly.”

“What do you mean?”

“We were arguing and I may have said some things that set her off.”

“What did you say?”

“I accused her of being money hungry. That she was breaking the law for a paycheck.”

“I’m guessing that touched a nerve?”

“It did. It just kind of came out and then it was just hanging there in the air between us. She asked for a little time. Said she needed to figure out how all of this was going to play out.”

“Marcus, if Octavia’s yours, she can’t keep her from you.”

“I know that.” He confirmed softly, “I don’t think her intention is to keep her from me. I think she just needs to figure out how to navigate all of this now. I did see her. Well, a picture of her at least.”

A melancholy smile crossed Abby’s face, as she suddenly internalized that this was real. He had a daughter. They had another child in their family now. 

“What does she look like?”

“She’s cute.” He breathed, the corner of his lip ticking up just slightly. “She’s tiny. Really dark hair, like mine, but long. She has Aurora’s green eyes. Thankfully, she didn’t get my nose.” He laughed sadly as he finally relaxed a bit smiling over at Abby to gauge her reaction.

“I love your nose.” She affirmed, wishing that she could reach out and take his face in her hands.

“You have to say that. You’re my wife.” 

“Oh that’s right. It was in the vows, wasn’t it.”

“Gotta read that fine print, Abby.” He smirked.

“You said she’s 4?”

“Yeah, she’ll be five in May. God, she and Clarke are so close in age. How do you think she’ll take it?” Abby laughed at the question. “Your little shadow? Honestly, I don’t think she’s going to be happy to have to share you, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Who knows, maybe she’ll be fine with it. She has always wanted a sister.” Marcus released a heavy breath, the word sister worked its way through his brain.

“Abby, I have a daughter.” He whispered so softly that she barely heard him.

“It’s going to be fine, Marcus. We’ll figure it out.”

“Thank you.” He murmured, as he smiled at her. 

“So what now?”

“I think I need to help her figure a way out of this mess.”

Abby eyed Marcus, knowing in her heart what he wanted to do, but hoping that she was wrong. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“What choice do I have?”

“We..” Abby reminded, trying to keep her face gentle and calm.

“We..” He conceded. “Abby, Octavia’s my daughter and I can’t just ignore what’s going on with the people in her life. I need to get her out of here and if that means I have to help Aurora too, then..”

“I know. So, let’s just bank a little more information from the transfers and we can turn it all over to the FDA. If Cage’s hands are in this, then he’ll be pushed. If you are really her father, then Cage has no right to her. I’m sure if Aurora testifies, they can help protect her. This isn’t going to be a small fine for Wallace. This is going to be major jail time for a lot of people. Maybe even Aurora.” 

Marcus’s eyes flew to Abby’s. “She was forced into this.”

“Maybe,” she cautioned. “And if she cooperates, then maybe everything will work out for her, but I just. Marcus we need to be careful with this, okay.”

* * *

For the rest of the week, Aurora kept her distance, speaking to Marcus only when absolutely necessary around the office. He wasn’t sure if she was intentionally avoiding him because she wasn’t ready to discuss Octavia, or if somehow she was trying to protect him from Cage’s growing suspicion that someone was poking around in his data. She had been very clear, when last they spoke, that Cage was convinced someone was accessing his files. She had tried to reassure him that it was just a new security protocol she had installed to further protect the files from being detected by AST, but she warned Marcus that Cage wasn't convinced. Regardless of her reason, he knew that they needed to have another discussion regarding their daughter… soon. 

Now that a few days had passed, Marcus’s shock had turned to anger. He had missed out on years of his daughter’s life. Years! Countless moments and experiences that he had missed out on and that he would never be able to get back. Bringing her home from the hospital, her first smile, first steps, first words, birthdays, holidays. All of it. He had missed every moment of her life so far and that reality was hard for him to accept. Though he had been thankful to be afforded those opportunities with Clarke, it was that intimate knowledge of all the things that had been taken from him that truly fueled the anger he now felt towards Aurora. He would never be able to forgive her for this, but deep down he understood that for Octavia’s sake, they would have to find a path forward. No good would come from destroying the shards of civility that remained from their past relationship. 

The biggest stumbling block was Octavia herself. As far as the little girl was concerned, Cage was her father and Aurora was insistent that for the time being, that belief not change. Aurora had suggested introducing him as one of her old friends, but Marcus didn’t like to play games and the thought of lying to his daughter made him sick to his stomach. He had been surprised but Abby had actually agreed with Aurora’s suggestion. Octavia was still very young and the likelihood that she could really grasp the situation was small at best. Abby tried to convince him that there was no reason to destroy her world, not yet at least. At some point, the truth did need to come out, but for now she agreed that they needed to proceed with caution. 

Though Aurora had assured him he would meet Octavia soon, the delay was eating at him more and more every day. He couldn’t stop focusing on the idea that there was this little piece of him out there somewhere, living her little life, blissfully unaware that he even existed. What if he hadn’t stumbled upon all of this mess? Would Aurora ever have told her the truth? Told him the truth? Would she have figured it all out one day and then wonder why her real father hadn’t ever come looking for her? 

He had been tempted to just put it all out there in the open, damn the consequences, but he had to temper his desires with the impact a rash decision like that could have on not just his daughter’s life, but on his company’s future as well. He had practically signed his life away when he had agreed to this project, and the prospect of starting a war with the powerful Dante Wallace or even his unstable son, wasn’t appealing. Together, they had the resources to destroy him and everything that he cared about. He had to be smart about this, even though every fiber of his being was screaming for him to do something..now. Ultimately, he resolved to be patient. If he was really going to go to battle with Goliath, then he needed to make sure his arsenal was well stocked. He needed enough information to make sure Aurora and Octavia could make a clean break. Until that happened, he was going to have to follow Aurora’s lead when it came to Octavia but that was the only concession he would make. 

Thankfully, he had Abby at his side to temper his response to everything. Marcus had always been grateful for her, but never so much as he was now. She continued to amaze him with her support. When he had told her about Octavia, a small part of him had been concerned as to how she would take the news, but from the moment the words had left his mouth, she had been nothing but understanding. She was furious that Aurora had done this to him, to them rather, but none of that anger had been aimed at him. He wasn’t looking forward to the next time Aurora and Abby ended up in the same room, but that was a problem for another day. 

For now, their focus was simply getting out of this situation intact. Aurora had been insistent that Marcus abandon his investigation into the files, but he just couldn’t rationalize doing so. This all had to be resolved one way or another and the only way to do that was to keep digging. There was no way forward with Octavia as long as they were under Cage’s thumb so the only option was to free Aurora from Cage’s yoke. Together with Abby, the decision was made to keep Aurora in the dark about their continued investigation. Part of that rationale was to keep Aurora and Octavia safe with plausible deniability, but the larger reason was that Abby simply didn’t trust her. Marcus knew that Abby’s instincts were rarely wrong, so when she had urged Marcus to leave Aurora out of this, he hadn’t put up much of a fight. The more he thought about it, the more Abby’s insistence made sense. The temptation for Aurora to turn the tables to protect her daughter was too great. Once she had what she wanted, she would likely take off, leaving Marcus to deal with the fall out. Even when she had admitted that she knew what was going on in the various labs, her only concern had been her daughter. Marcus and Abby saw the bigger picture. Neither of them could, in good conscience, ignore what they had found. Laws were being broken and people were being taken advantage of across the globe. The choice was simple, they had to continue. First, they had to continue going through the files and gathering enough information to incriminate Wallace Pharma beyond a shadow of a doubt. Then, when they were ready to present their findings to the authorities, they would make sure a solid agreement was in place with Aurora. 

  
  



	31. Best Kept Secrets (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus finally makes it home to see Abby and Clarke in Arkadia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge shout out to Zivitz for her editing/ploting help and also to Jamie for letting me bounce ideas. You guys are awesome!

With an exhausted sigh, Marcus deposited his suitcase in the mud room, kicked off his shoes, and dropped his keys on the kitchen counter. The house was still and quiet, just as he had expected it to be. It was almost 1:00 AM and he was glad that he had insisted Abby not pick him up from the airport. She had wanted to, but when his flight out of Hawaii started to get pushed back hour by hour, he had finally persuaded her to stay home with Clarke and just let him take an Uber to the house. He could tell by the soft flicker of light emitting from the living room that she had tried to wait up on him, but given that she hadn’t been waiting on him when he walked through the garage door, he assumed she had fallen asleep on the couch. As he moved towards the living room, a large grin grew on his face and his pulse started to quicken. It had been a month since he and Abby had been together and his body was humming with anticipation. Though they had talked multiple times every day since they had left Vegas, nothing could compare to the feel of her body next to his.

As expected, Marcus found Abby curled up in her favorite blue blanket on the couch, her steady breathing barely audible over the soft murmur of the movie still playing on the tv. For a moment, he just watched her, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, the peaceful expression on her face. She looked so content that he hated to wake her, but he was also unwilling to go one more night sleeping without her by his side. As he started to approach her, his eyes drifted to the tv and noting the cartoon characters on the screen, he paused. His gaze moved from Abby to the other couch, searching for his other favorite girl. Abby had seen Frozen about four hundred times at this point, so he knew without a doubt that there was no way she would have chosen that movie on her own accord. If Frozen was playing, that meant that Clarke was close by but he frowned when he didn’t immediately find her. It wasn’t until he shifted his eyes towards the front door that he finally found the petite blonde. She was slumped against the wall by the front door, curled up in a blanket with her favorite stuffed puppy tucked protectively in her arms. From the looks of things, she must have moved to the foyer after Abby had fallen asleep, but then had passed out herself. He was thankful that she had at least grabbed a pillow, but his body ached just looking at her. Since Abby was contentedly sleeping, he decided to wake Clarke first.

He had just crouched down next to her when the floor board creaked and her eyes slowly opened. “Hi honey,” he whispered softly as he reached out to brush her hair from her face. 

“Marcus?” She blinked at him, her eyes still heavy with sleep, but as if a switch was flipped, her eyes suddenly went wide and she leapt into his arms. Her movement had been so fast, so abrupt that it knocked Marcus off balance and he landed on the floor with a thud. She immediately wrapped her arms tightly around him, and as she buried her face into his neck, he could feel the wetness on her cheeks. 

”You’re home!” she whimpered hoarsely into his chest as he held her close, adjusting his body so that he was a little more comfortable on the hard wood floor. 

“I am. Oh, I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you so much!” She heard a little squeak come from her mouth, but it was clear that she was so overwhelmed by her emotions that she was not yet able to speak. After a few moments of holding her close, rubbing her back in an effort to soothe her, her choked hiccups finally subsided and she pulled back to look at him with her piercing blue eyes. He smiled down at her, brushing away the last of her tears and placed a small kiss on her forehead. 

“Are you ok?” he softly laughed as she pulled him in for another hug. 

“I’m just glad you’re home.” 

“So what are we doing tomorrow? Playing in the pool?” She narrowed her eyes as she considered his words. 

“No, it’s too cold. Mommy said we can’t swim until May.” 

“Oh, so we’re making Christmas cookies then?” 

Her confusion quickly morphed into a smile as she started to understand the game he was playing. 

“Nooo,” she reprimanded. “That’s in December!” 

“Oh so, we’re making Valentine’s Day cards!”

“Marcus!”

“Oh, so what holiday is it this weekend? I’m confused!” He said with a huff, smiling broadly at her.

She rolled her eyes as she placed her small hands on his face, forcing his attention to her.“It’s Halloween silly! How do you not know this? Mommy bought us pumpkins that we can carve together and we’re going to go Trick Or Treating!”

“We are?” He asked as if this was news to him.

She nodded her head at him with a wide grin. “Yup! I’m going to be Elsa and guess who you get to be?”

“Sven?” He questioned, making the little girl throw her head back in frustration.

“No! You get to be my Olaf!”

“Says who?”

“Mommy!”

“Well, we’re just going to have to talk with her about that aren’t we?”

“Talk to me about what?” A sleepy voice said from behind him as he felt her warm hands on his shoulders. Marcus looked up to see Abby standing behind him, looking a bit exhausted but otherwise as beautiful as always. 

“Hop up little one.” He encouraged as he lifted Clarke off his lap. She turned and offered her hand to him, grunting and groaning as she tried to help him to his feet. 

Once upright, he immediately grabbed Abby and pulled her into her arms, burying his head into her hair as her body melted into his.

  
  


The next morning, Marcus woke with Abby’s body draped over his. She too was just starting to wake and with a contented hum, she snuggled closer to him. He was so thankful to be back home in his own bed with Abby by his side, but the reality that their time together would once again be very brief was not far from his mind. Somehow he had foolishly believed that this process would somehow get easier, but every goodbye seemed to be harder than the one before. Thankfully, it was only three more weeks until Thanksgiving and then they would be together for a complete week. It would be the longest span of time they had been together since all of this started in August and he could not wait! He hadn’t told her yet, but Sinclair and Indra had both agreed to help split up the last few months of the project so that Marcus could be home with his new family. Indra was going to take the last two weeks of December, which meant that he would be home for Christmas and Sinclair had agreed to cover the first two weeks of January. That would mean by mid December he would have an entire month home with his girls. By the looks of things, the first phase of the project would be wrapped up by the end of January, so after Thanksgiving he was really only looking at a few more weeks of separation and then all of this would be behind them. The only complication now was Aurora and Octavia. He didn’t really know how all of that was going to play out, but they would figure it out.

As if she could read her mind, Abby’s hand started to drift up and down his chest as she murmured, “Stop thinking about it.” 

“I can’t,” He admitted honestly dropping a kiss to the top of her head as her hand drifted a little further south. 

“I may have a few ideas on some ways to distract you if you are having trouble,” she teased, swinging her leg over his body and shifting so that she was straddling his hips. She started to kiss his chest with slow, deliberate kisses and it wasn’t long before his body started to respond. 

“If we hurry, we may even be able to finish before she’s up.” Abby hummed, thankful that she had the forethought in the middle of the night to lock the door. She felt the vibration of his laugh under her mouth which only made her desire to encourage him grow in intensity. 

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“I’m trying to take advantage of the time we have..” She rephrased, slowly teasing him with her bare body as she felt the evidence of her effect on him between her legs. She reached down and guided him where she wanted him, wasting no time sinking down and taking him completely in. For a few moments, he just enjoyed the feeling of her body moving on him, letting her set the pace, enjoying the view of her breasts dancing in mesmerizing circles in the early morning light. It wasn’t long before the familiar sensation started to grow within him. He knew that if he let her continue at her current pace, he wouldn’t last much longer, so in one swift motion he grabbed her hips and flipped them so that he was lingering above her. A shocked gasp left her lips as he smiled devilishly down at her. Their lips met and it wasn’t long before her eyes again slipped closed, her hands moving to his back as she enjoyed the feeling of the muscles moving under her fingers. Though she truly enjoyed being in control, there was something extremely intoxicating about letting him set the pace, submitting herself to him and just enjoying the sensation of their bodies moving together as one. 

Afterwards, they laid together, their bodies entwined, both secretly wishing they could stay right there in bed all day. After a few moments of silence, they heard little feet coming down the hall and as Abby heard a thud against the door, she couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her mouth. Marcus immediately shot up, quickly realizing what had happened, but when a little voice from the other side of the door called out, “I’m okay!,” he too felt a loud chuckle leave his lips.

  
  


The morning had been exactly what they had all needed. No scheduled activities or plans, just uninterrupted time spent relaxing and reconnecting as a family.

For breakfast, Clarke had insisted on helping Marcus make his famous blueberry pancakes. She had explained that Abby had tried to make them a few times while he had been gone, but that hers were just not as good. Abby had tried to act offended at her daughter’s declaration, but deep down, she knew that Clarke’s assessment had been pretty accurate. She did not know what Marcus did differently, but his pancakes really did taste better than anything she had produced. If Clarke wanted to learn his technique firsthand, she wasn’t going to stop her.

Once the meal was consumed and the kitchen cleaned, they all moved to the living room where Abby curled up on an armchair with her cup of coffee, while Clarke snuggled next to Marcus on one of the couches. The little girl had been waiting for weeks to show Marcus everything she had been working at school, so once she was tucked happily at his side, she opened her large blue school folder and began presenting everything to him, page by page. 

Abby knew that the process was taking much longer than Marcus had anticipated, but every time she glanced over at him, the look of contentment on his face would make her heart melt. She had always appreciated how loving Marcus was with Clarke, how truly patient he was with her. He truly adored her and it was very clear that Clarke felt the same. 

As she sat silently observing their interactions, she couldn’t deny how much closer the two of them had become over the last few months. In many ways, he had become a second father to her. 

Abby had no doubt that Clarke loved Jake deeply, but it was hard to ignore the special bond that she had with Marcus. Jake would always be Clarke’s father, her daddy, but it was clear now to Abby that Clarke’s feelings for Marcus paralleled those she felt for Jake. Abby didn’t have experience with it first hand, but she assumed that Clarke’s love for the two men was similar to the love parents with multiple children felt. Loving certain things about the one didn’t mean that they didn’t love the other. The more Abby thought about it, the more she realized how lucky Clarke was. She didn’t just have one father, she had two. Though Abby made a mental note to never say that out loud around Jake. Things were still pretty tense and there was no need to add more fuel to the fire. 

Though they had been married for just over a month, both Clarke and Jake were still in the dark about what had taken place in Las Vegas. It had been hard to keep the secret from Clarke, but Abby had really wanted Marcus to be present when they told her. It was a difficult decision, but ultimately they had decided to wait until they were all together to share the news. Jake was a bit of a different story. Abby knew that she probably should have given Jake a heads up on her marriage to Marcus by now, but honestly, she didn’t trust that he would keep the news from Clarke. She wanted to control the narrative, so until Clarke knew, Jake couldn’t. 

She was already dreading the conversation with Jake. He wasn’t going to react well to the news. She already knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. All she could hope for is that he would keep his feelings in check and just accept that he really didn’t get a say in her life any more. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind. For now, they just needed to focus on telling Clarke. She would deal with Jake later.

She and Marcus had decided that they would absolutely tell her that weekend, but instead of a concrete plan they had decided to follow Clarke’s lead, telling her when the moment felt right. Thankfully, they hadn’t had to wait long for the opportunity. 

After Clarke had finished packing up all of her school work, she had returned to her spot on Marcus’s lap. As she often did, she leaned back against his chest and started playing mindlessly with his large fingers as they all talked about the best time to go out trick or treating. 

Marcus had become so accustomed to the ring on his finger that he had forgotten it was there and after a few moments, he realized that Clarke’s finger was lingering on the platinum band. As her small finger started to slide back and forth over the ring, he smiled as he quickly realized what had her so fascinated. Abby must have noticed too, because when his eyes met hers, she winked at him as a large grin grew on her face. Without the need to say it, they both knew it was time to tell her, but before Abby could begin, Clarke broke the silence that had settled in the room. 

“I like your new ring, Marcus.” She said curiously, lifting and turning Marcus’s hand so she could get a better look at the ring. “It looks like the one that Daddy used to wear.” She smiled softly as she looked back over her shoulder at him. Abby cringed slightly at the comment, but Marcus just returned her smile, not letting the comparison bother him.

“Your mom has a new one too. Did you see it?” Clarke’s head tilted as she looked over at her mom. 

“You do?” 

“Go look,” Marcus encouraged, lifting the girl from his lap and placing her on the floor. Clarke moved over to her mother and gently took her hand, smiling as the light caught the diamonds. 

“Mommy! They’re so pretty! Where did you get them?” Abby had intentionally not been wearing the rings when she was home with Clarke, instead wearing them on a silver necklace tucked safely under her shirt. She had slipped them on that morning and was honestly surprised it had taken Clarke this long to notice.

“Marcus gave them to me.” Abby told the girl, smiling brightly at Marcus. Clarke briefly grinned back at Marcus before returning her attention to the shiny stones.

“For your birthday?” She questioned innocently.

“No baby. He gave them to me about a month ago. Come here, let’s talk for a minute.” Clarke shrugged her shoulders and sat next to her mom. 

“Clarke, do you remember a few weeks ago I took a trip?” She nodded. 

“For Eric and Nate’s wedding?”

“Yes, that’s right. Marcus was there too and while we were there, Marcus asked me to marry him.” Clarke’s head flew back to Marcus. “He did?” Abby had never been more thankful for Disney princess movies. Her daughter was already well versed in weddings so she was glad she didn’t have to try and explain everything to her at one time.

“So you and Marcus are going to get married?” She questioned with excitement in her voice.

“Well, actually sweetie, we already did.” 

“You did?” She questioned, her voice suddenly small. “But I wasn’t there!” 

“I know baby, and we’re really sorry. We wanted you to be there, but it wasn’t really planned and it just kind of happened.”

Clarke was quiet for a few moments, processing the information that her mother had just told her. Marcus could see the concern in Abby’s eyes, but before he could offer any words of encouragement, a smile returned to Clarke’s face. “It’s ok. We’ll just do it again tomorrow so I can be there!”

“Clarke..” Abby said hesitantly.

“Mr. Penguin can perform the ceremony and I can be the flower girl! I’ll wear my Elsa dress and we can do it by the lake!” 

Abby bit her lip as she tried to stop herself from laughing. 

“Will that make you feel better about not being there?” Marcus questioned, his jaw tight as he also tried to keep his laughter at bay. 

Clarke nodded enthusiastically, “If I wasn’t there, then you guys aren’t really married. There is only one way to fix this problem.”

This time Abby couldn’t stop the laughter that she had been trying to hold inside. 

“So can we do it?” Clarke asked hopefully, her eyes bouncing back and forth between Marcus and Abby. 

“Well, your mom did want to get married on a beach. I guess the lake is close enough.” Abby covered her face with her hand as Clarke grabbed her little stuffed puppy and did a small dance around the living room. 

“I get to be a flower girl!” She exclaimed, tossing her hands in the air before turning and running off towards the stairs. 

“Where are you going?” Abby questioned, not quite understanding what was going on in her daughter’s little head. Clarke stopped just long enough to look back at Abby, her face already heavy with concentration. 

“I have a wedding to plan!” She said with a frustrated sigh. 

Abby closed her eyes, as she pressed her lips together, her body shaking with pent up laughter. 

“Don’t go crazy Clarke! Your dad will be here to pick you up at 2:30 okay? I promised you’d be ready to go since you guys don’t have a lot of time this afternoon.

Clarke gave her a quick thumbs up before disappearing upstairs. 

“Guess we’ll get that beach wedding after all.” Marcus said with a small laugh as he pushed up out of his chair and walked over to Abby. He pulled her up long enough to slip into her clair, bringing her back down to his lap as he wrapped his arms around her and they enjoyed being alone for a few moments. 

  
  



	32. Best Kept Secrets (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake finds out about Abby's marriage to Marcus.

Later that afternoon, Jake had arrived to pick Clarke up for a few hours. Halloween had never been one of his favorite holidays, but Clarke had been insistent that they continue their yearly tradition of carving pumpkins together on Halloween day. Abby had offered to switch weekends with him a few times over the past month so that he could have her for the holiday weekend, but every time he had said no. Jake had never been a fan of trick or treating and though he loved his daughter very much, the prospect of walking around a dark neighborhood all night with her just didn’t appeal to him. Ultimately, they had decided that he would just pick her up for a few hours and then drop her back off before dusk so that Abby could walk her around before it got too late.

“Mommy, guess what?” Clarke said, running through the front door and immediately finding Abby. “Daddy’s going to take me trick or treating tonight! Abby looked down at her daughter, her stomach starting to twist at her words.

“No, sweetie, he said he couldn’t take you this year. Marcus is going with you, remember?”

“But..” Clarke began, turning back towards the front door, a frown forming on her face. “Daddy’s waiting outside. He told me to come in and get my Elsa dress. We even went to the store to buy a costume for him.”

Abby released a frustrated breath as her eyes slipped closed.  _ Damn it, Jake. _ She silently cursed, already wondering what game he was playing now. 

“Stay here!” Abby said harshly as she flew out of the front door and down the sidewalk towards Jake. She could already tell by the smug smile on his face that he knew exactly what he was doing and that realization alone only fueled her fire.

“What the hell Jake?”

“What’s gotten into you?” He huffed, smirking at her as he leaned back against his car, folding his arms over his chest.

“Cut the crap Jake! This isn’t what we discussed and you know it.”

“Abby, I’m here. She wants to go and I can take her. I don’t see the problem.” She let out a frustrated huff, shaking her head as she glared at him. 

“You just don’t get it, do you?”

“What’s to get?” Jake spat back, standing up and dropping his hands to his hips as his anger too started to grow. “You’ve asked me multiple times to take her out trick or treating.”

“And every time you said no! I gave you the choice and you declined, so we made other plans. You can’t just show up and change things on a whim.”

“I can when my daughter expresses interest in spending time with me!”

“Really.. That’s what you’re going with? Clarke begged you to take her? Jake, you are so full of shit! She’s spent the entire week talking about how much fun she was going to have with Marcus tonight. How happy she was that he was going to be home to take her. You’re so transparent. Just admit it. You don’t want to take her. You just don’t want Marcus to take her!”

“I changed my mind! I’m allowed to do that! If I want to take my daughter trick or treating, I should be able to do that! I should get priority over him.”

“God, you’re pathetic! This isn’t about priority Jake. This is about you showing up and demanding that we change our plans to accommodate your whims. I gave you every opportunity to do this with her. You blew her off. You don’t get to just show up and change your mind.”

“Plans change, Abby. Sometimes we say one thing and then turn around and do something else. I guess it’s ok when you do it. I’m the one that’s not allowed.” 

Abby scrunched her face as she tried to understand the nonsense coming out of his mouth.

“What are you talking about?”

“Were you even going to tell me?” He snarled through gritted teeth. 

“Tell you what?” 

“Look who’s playing games now... You know what.”

She stared defiantly at him for a few moments, doing her best to ignore the knot that was forming in her stomach. He knew.  _ Damn it, I forgot to tell Clarke that he didn’t know.  _

“You two sure didn’t waste any fucking time, did you? Hell, was the ink even dry on the divorce papers when you two ran off to Vegas together?”

“Jealousy isn’t a good look for you Jake.”

“Were you even planning on telling me?”

“I don’t know. Were you ever planning on telling me about Becca?” Abby knew it was a low blow but she couldn’t help herself. 

“You should have told me Abby. You owe me that much!”

Abby’s face twisted in disbelief as his words hit her. 

“I don’t owe you anything Jake!” Abby spat, her anger rising from a simmer to a boil. She squared her shoulders, tightening her fists as she closed the distance between them. “What I do with my personal life is none of your damn business! Not anymore! I don’t have to get your approval for the decisions I make!” 

“You do when they affect my daughter.” 

“OUR daughter Jake! And I can assure you she’s fine with this.”

“Of course she is. Look at the shiny new family she has. I bet if I disappeared she wouldn’t even know I was gone.” Abby bit her lip, a bitter laugh leaving her as she narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Damn it, Jake. You have got to let this go!”

“We were married for six years and a week after our divorce is final and you run off and marry another man.. The same man you spent our entire marriage telling me that you didn’t have feelings for! It’s unbelievable and then on top of it, I have to hear about it from our five year old daughter! You should have told me Abby! You! Not Clarke!”

“You know what Jake, you’re right! I should have told you, but honestly I didn’t want to deal with another one of your fucking tantrums.”

“You should have told me!”

“Go home, Jake. I’m not doing this with you tonight.”

“So, even though she wants to go with me, you’re going to say no just to be a bitch!” 

“Wow.” Abby seethed, “Jake, you’re the one that didn’t want to go tonight! I gave you the option to be with your daughter and you’re the one that said you didn’t want to go. You made your choice and when you did, we made other plans. Don’t try and turn this around on me. Don’t make me the bad guy.”

“I’m just asking for a few more hours with her. I’ll bring her back before bedtime. It’s still your weekend.”

“Jake, I said no. Marcus is only here this weekend and Clarke’s not seen him in weeks.”

“I’m her father Abby!”

“So is he!” Abby huffed, regretting the words the moment they left her lips.  _ Stupid Abby! Stupid! _ She silently chastised. She had only seen Jake truly furious a handful of times over their time together, and it was clear by the way the vein on the side of his temple was visibly throbbing that she had crossed a line. 

“You’re a fucking bitch, you know that?”

Inside the house, Marcus had just stepped inside from taking a call on the back deck. He smiled when his eyes found Clarke sitting on the couch, happy that she was back home but when he looked around, he noticed Abby was missing. “Where’s your mom kiddo?”

“Outside talking to Daddy. I think she’s mad at him.” 

Marcus gave her a quick frown, not sure if she was serious, but a moment later he clearly heard raised voices from the front of the house. 

As he stepped out onto the porch, it only took a moment to assess the situation. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he could tell by the hardness of Abby’s expression that Jake had done or said something that had pissed her off. 

“Everything okay?” Marcus asked tightly, as he stepped up beside Abby, his hand moving to the small of her back to offer some reassurance. 

“Yeah, everything is fine. Jake was just leaving.” 

“I’m not going anywhere, Abby. Not until we finish this.”

“There is nothing else to say Jake. She’s not going. You can see her next weekend. I’ll have her call tonight before bed but for now, you need to leave.”

“How about we let her decide?” 

“Jake, I said no!” 

Marcus watched as Jake’s jaw tightened into a hard line. He could see the fury churning within him and knew he needed to step in before things got any more out of control than they already were. 

“Jake, you need to go.” Marcus insisted flatly, his eyes warning Jake that this wasn’t a fight he was going to win. 

“This really doesn’t involve you.”

“Well, the way I see it, you’re standing in my yard, threatening my wife, so I think it very much involves me.”

Jake’s nostrils flared at Marcus’s choice of words. “You’ve just been waiting to rub that in my face haven’t you?” His words were harsh, dripping with venom. 

“Could you stop acting like a fucking child for one second?” Marcus sneered, instinctively taking a step forward to put himself between Jake and Abby. 

Jake, mistaking Marcus’s movement for an act of aggression, pounced and before Marcus knew what was happening, he felt Jake’s closed fist make contact with his jaw. The unexpected impact forced him back a few steps, but he was able to recover quickly. Moving in one swift motion, he grabbed Jake’s arm and used his momentum to shove Jake harshly against his car, pinning him against the door. Though he temporarily had the upper hand, Jake was a much larger man and Marcus knew that he would only be able to hold him for so long. 

His mind was racing as he tried to decide on the correct course of action. He wasn’t by nature a violent man, but he also wasn’t the type to let a first strike go without a proper response. Every fiber of his being was buzzing to hit back, but warning bells were wildly sounding in his head. Even though it had been Jake that had taken the first swing, Marcus knew without a doubt that if he struck back, there would be major ramifications, not only for him, but for Abby and Clarke as well. 

Jake had been trying to bait him for months. Almost every time they had been anywhere near each other over the past few months, Jake had intentionally tried to undermine him, to push his buttons, get him riled up so he would slip. Marcus couldn’t be sure, but on some level he suspected that Jake was trying to get a reaction out of him so that he had some kind of excuse to revisit the custody agreement. He wanted Marcus to fight back so he had some leverage to control them. As much as he wanted to beat him senseless, he knew the moment of satisfaction wouldn’t be worth the nightmare that it would cause, so he instead decided to beat him at his own game. 

Marcus used all the strength he had to push into Jake, holding him in place. He could feel Jake’s fists balling up against his leg in anticipation of a counter strike by Marcus, but instead of giving Jake what he wanted, Marcus simply moved closer and whispered, “Might want to think very carefully about what you do next.”

“Oh yeah,” Jake snarled “Why’s that?”

“Because your daughter is watching.” Marcus said softly, the corner of his lip pulling up as he delivered a message that was so much more powerful than a punch. Marcus felt Jake tense against him and then watched as his eyes moved back towards the house, slipping closed with a curse as the horrified expression on his daughter’s face came into focus. 

Keeping his voice intentionally low and steady, he leaned in so that his hot breath was on Jake’s face. “You need to listen very closely because we won’t have this conversation again. I will never come between you and Clarke. You’re her father and I promise you that I won’t do or say anything to diminish your relationship with her, but if you ever come to my house again and threaten my family, I will end you. Do you understand me?” Jake didn’t respond, but Marcus could tell by Jake’s body language that he had won this battle. Without another word, Marcus released Jake but the moment he did, Jake pushed off the car and shoved Marcus away from him. 

“Jake stop!” Abby warned, glaring at the man before shifting her eyes back towards Clarke.

Marcus wisely let it go and turned away from Jake and released a hard breath. He knew Jake wouldn’t touch him while Clarke was watching.

To Marcus’s right, Abby stood rooted in her spot, a disgusted expression on her face. Her heart was pounding in her chest at what she had just seen and she could feel her face tingling as her body responded to the stress of the moment. Thankfully, it seemed that the fuse had been put out on what could have been a very ugly situation. She didn’t know what Marcus had said to Jake, but as studied him, she recognized the defeat on her ex husband’s face. 

“Daddy?” Clarke said weakly as she stepped out on the porch, not understanding what she had just seen. “Why did you hit Marcus?” She whimpered, tears gathering in her scared eyes.

Jake started to respond but the words caught in this throat. There was nothing he could say to fix what he had just done. He had screwed up and Clarke had seen it. The worst part was that there was nothing he could do or say to erase the moment from her mind.

“I’m sorry baby. I uh.. Listen, I’m not feeling well. Why don’t you go trick or treating with your mom and Marcus and we’ll do something special next weekend okay?”

Clarke took a step forward, wanting to go to him, but she stopped when she saw Abby’s eyes pleading with her to stay. Before she could say another word, Jake climbed into his car and disappeared down the road. 

* * *

Once Jake was gone, Abby took Clarke inside to talk to her about what had just happened. She wasn’t sure how much she had seen, but it was clear by the look on her face that she had seen enough to know that things were not okay between Marcus and Jake. Thankfully, after Abby’s talk, Clarke had seemed to understand that her father’s feelings had been a little hurt when he found out about Abby’s marriage to Marcus. Abby tried to explain to her that she had made a mistake by not telling him earlier and that he had just lost his temper. Abby wasn’t completely sure if Clarke accepted the explanation, but it seemed to offer enough comfort for her to push the event from her mind. After dinner, Clarke was in much better spirits. As promised, Marcus donned the inflatable Olaf costume that Abby had purchased and together, the three of them made their way around the entire neighborhood collecting candy.

After tucking Clarke in for the night, Marcus lit the logs in the fireplace and curled up on the couch with Abby. Despite the situation with Jake, the rest of the evening had gone well and for that Marcus was thankful. As yawn escaped his mouth, he grimaced. Jake had gotten in a pretty good hit and though he was confident it wasn’t going to bruise at this point, he knew his jaw was going to be sore for a few days. 

Feeling the sharp hiss that had left his mouth at his yawn, Abby looked up and frowned. She turned to get a better look at his face and she offered him a small smile as her hand cupped his cheek. 

“Does it still hurt?”

“I’m ok.” 

“I’m really sorry, Marcus.”

“Abby, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“Yeah, I do. This was my fault. I should have told him sooner. It was stupid to wait.”

“You made the decision that was best at the time. Regardless of when he found out, his reaction tonight was out of line.” He said warmly, trying to offer some reassurance. She studied his jaw for another moment before placing her head back against his chest. 

“Do you think it will always be like this with him?”`

“Like what? The animosity?”

Abby nodded. “Yeah. I guess it was naive of me to think that maybe he was starting to accept things. He’s been almost civil the last few weeks and I thought that maybe we had started to move past the jealousy. Obviously I was wrong. We’re right back where we were when all of this started.”

“He’ll get there Abby. Cut him a little slack. He had just found out about us. I’m sure his emotions were a little raw.”

Abby pulled back and stared up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Marcus, he hit you! I can’t believe you’re defending him.”

“I’m not. I just.. I understand how all this looks to him. It doesn’t make what happened today justified, but I can see where his anger is coming from. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret a thing, but it was quick Abby. You have to admit that.”

She reluctantly nodded, but refused to excuse Jake’s inability to maintain control.

“It’ll take time but eventually, I think he’ll be able to accept this or at the very least, learn to live with it.”

Abby frowned as she laid her head back against his chest, “I’m glad you have faith in his emotional growth. I’m not so sure I do.”

“For Clarke’s sake, he’ll figure it out.” 

“Speaking of, have you talked with Aurora any more about Octavia?” Abby hated to bring it up, but they hadn’t really talked about it since he had arrived the night before. 

“She’s going to come by the office on Tuesday.” 

He ran his hand over his face as he dropped his head back against the pillow. “I’m sorry I’ve gotten us into this mess.”

“What with Wallace?”

“No, with Aurora. God, Abby. How are we going to do this? I look at how difficult things have been between you and Jake with Clarke. How are Aurora and I going to work this out when we don’t even live in the same state. She’s four, it’s not like we can just pop her on a plane and ship her back and forth.” 

“Do you believe her?” Abby murmured softly, immediately regretting opening her mouth as she felt him tense at her question. 

“What do you mean, do I believe her? About Octavia?”

She nodded softly, “Yeah..” 

“Of course I do. Why would she lie?”

When Abby didn’t respond, Marcus gently urged her up so he could see her eyes. “What makes you think she’s lying?”

Abby exhaled, looking down at the floor for a moment before responding. “Nothing.. It’s just.. It’s just a feeling. The timing of all of this just seems a little too coincidental. You haven’t seen or heard from her in almost five years and all of a sudden she just happens to be working for a company that hired you and she had a daughter she never told you about. It’s just all a little too convenient. 

Marcus started to respond, but instead closed his mouth and chewed his lip as he looked off into the distance. 

“Forget it. I’m sorry Marcus. I shouldn’t have said anything. It was stupid.”

He nodded and relaxed back into the couch as Abby again settled against his body. 

“I don’t like this either you know.” He finally said softly. “Abby I have a daughter that doesn’t even know I exist. I don’t even want to think about the hows and whys of that decision but it’s all in the past. All I can do is try and build a relationship with her and hope that it all works out.”

“It will Marcus.” Abby reassured. “We’ll do whatever we can to make this work. She’s your daughter, which means she’s my daughter now too… And Clarke’s sister. It may not be a perfect situation, but we’ll find a way. Just concentrate on meeting her. Enjoy the time you have with her while you’re in Hawaii and we’ll.. We’ll worry about the rest of it later.” 

  
  



	33. Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Abby have a much needed heart to heart and we find out a little more about what Aurora is up to.

“I come bearing gifts!”

Abby’s eyes lifted from the chart she had been reviewing to see Eric approaching with a large coffee in one hand and a thick envelope in the other. He dropped the envelope in front of her and just as she started to reach for the coffee, he sat down and took a sip, smiling innocently at her.

“You’re a mean man, Eric Jackson!”

“Hey, I’m the one having to work a double after taking the red eye back from Honolulu last night. What is all of that?” He inquired, nodding at the thick packet. “Nate told me to bring it to you but wouldn’t tell me what it was.”

“It’s nothing. Just some research I’m helping Marcus with. Thanks for bringing it back with you.”

“There is this thing called email you know. I know it sounds crazy, but you can actually send documents over this thing called the internet and it magically transfers from one computer to the other.”

“First you didn’t bring me coffee and now you’re giving me lip.” Abby warned as she raised an eyebrow at her friend. “You’re either incredibly brave or unbelievably stupid.” 

“I missed you too!” Eric laughed, sitting back and enjoying his coffee while Abby just frowned into her cold cup of decaf. 

“How was your visit with Nate? Based on your tan, I’d say your goal of spending the entire week on the beach was successful.” 

“It was great! It was good to see him in person for a change. This virtual marriage nonsense is for the birds.”

Abby offered him a knowing look. “You’re telling me. When Marcus was here a few weeks ago, it took every ounce of strength I had not to kidnap him and keep him here. At least we’re half way done at this point. Two more months…” 

“At least.” Eric frowned playing with a string on his scrubs. “Nate really thinks this is going to go into January.” 

“Dr. Jackson?” Eric looked back to see one of the nurses leaning in to Abby’s office with an apologetic smile. “Good morning Dr. Griffin. Oh!!” The girl said, holding up her hand in apology. “Dr. Kane. Dr. Kane.. Sorry, you’d think I’d be used to the change by now.” 

Abby gave the girl a reassuring smile. “It’s fine Carter. I’m still getting used to it myself. I actually introduced myself to a new patient last week as Dr. Griffin and was just going to roll with it, but the patient’s father was confused. He said they were supposed to be seeing Dr. Kane and I had to explain that I had forgotten my own name. Super reassuring to a family that is asking you to perform surgery on their child.”

“Oh my God you didn’t?” Eric laughed, almost choking on his coffee. 

“I’d like to see you try and remember a name change smarty pants. You can’t even remember to bring me my coffee in the morning.” 

Eric rolled his eyes as the nurse giggled in the doorway. “Carter, what can I do for you?”

“We’re ready for you in 310 when you have a moment. Oh and Dr. Jackson, you’re needed down in the ER for a surgical consult.”

“Thank God! I’ve had enough of Abby’s abuse for one day.” He said lightly as he walked over and dropped a kiss to the top of Abby's head, taking her cold cup of coffee and dropping it in the trash can beside her desk. “I’ll bring you a new one in a little while.”

“Thanks Eric,” she said softly as she watched her favorite colleague walk out of the room. As she stood up to head down the hall, her phone chirped for attention. Looking down at the screen she grimaced. “Can we talk sometime today?” 

Abby frowned at the message. It had been a week since the blow up with Jake at the house and she still wasn’t sure she had forgiven him for his behavior. She chewed on her lip for a moment, mentally debating how she wanted to respond. What she wanted to say was  _ Only if you promise not to call me a bitch again  _ but decided after a week of zero contact with him, a snarky response probably wasn't the best way to start. She finally settled on an emotionless response.

_ Over the phone or in person? _

It only took a second for the three little dots to appear at the bottom of the text window.

_ I’d prefer in person. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. I don’t want to fight with you.  _ Abby started to scoff at the last part of his message, but quickly realized that it was his way of apologizing. 

_ I’m off at noon. Can I call you then and we’ll figure out a time and a place? I just need to be home for Clarke by 3:30. _

She watched Jake’s simple thumbs up pop up on the screen and as she dropped her phone in her jacket pocket, she tried to ignore the anxiety she was already feeling.

Aurora had just left Marcus’s office when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She didn't need to look at the screen to know who it was. She was tempted to ignore the text, but given that Cage had known exactly where she had been, she knew he was expecting a status report regarding Marcus. Begrudgingly, she made her way up to the 10th floor and walked into his office, deciding it was best to just get the conversation out of the way. 

When she arrived, she smiled at the dark haired figure sitting in the large leather chair behind the desk. 

“Hi squirt,” Aurora greeted warming, walking over to her daughter and kissing her on the head. “What are you doing here?”

“Grandpa’s taking me to lunch!” 

“He is? What a lucky girl!” Aurora smiled, taking Cage’s phone from Octavia’s hand and putting it back on the desk. “What did I say about playing on Daddy’s phone?”

Octavia flung herself back into the chair with a huff making it spin around once before Aurora’s hand stopped the rotation.

“Time to go, O.” Cage announced, walking into the office and dropping a pack of papers on his desk. “See you at home sweetie,” Aurora said, kissing her daughter’s one last time before she disappeared down the hall towards her grandfather’s office.

Closing the office door, Cage moved back towards Aurora, squeezing her shoulder as he passed. She released a jagged breath knowing instinctively that this was not going to be an easy conversation. Things weren’t going the way she had anticipated and Cage wasn’t happy about it. She remained silent, doing her best to hold a flat expression, as he slid onto the desk, his fingers immediately drumming softly against the hard surface as he studied her with his dark eyes. 

“Well,” he urged, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow at her continued silence. “Why is he still poking around in my business, Aurora.”

“I’m working on it, Cage.” Aurora bristled, pressing her lips together at his impatience.

“That’s what you said two weeks ago. This was your idea, if you remember.  You promised me you could control him!”

“I can! I just need a little more time.”

“We don't have time Aurora!” He said slapping his hands on the surface making her jump at the unexpected aggression. “He’s getting too close. From the files he’s accessed at this point, he has enough to expose everything that is going on. He could ruin me.. Destroy the entire damn company and I can promise you that if I go down, you’re going down with me!” 

“Baby, that’s not going to happen. Listen, I didn’t think he’d be able to break the encryption. I underestimated him. I’ll admit that, but I can promise it won't happen again.” She stood up and walked over to him, moving between his open legs and running her hands up his chest. “I have a plan,” she said softly, smiling as his hands drifted to her hips. “But you’re just going to have to trust me here Cage. Give me maybe two more weeks and I’ll have him under control. I’m testing a new encryption protocol this afternoon that I know he won’t be able to break. I’ll install it tonight.”

“You said that last time,” Cage mumbled. 

“He won't be able to touch this one. Everything is going to run through a pattern sequencer that changes different parts of the code at each repetition. It’ll just look like corrupted code to him.”

Cage released a long breath as he reached up and held her wrists, stopping her hands from moving on his chest. Aurora smirked at the show of control. “You trust me don't you?” She said softly from under her long lashes. 

“Of course I do, but until you get him reined in, I’m stopping the weekly transfers.”

“Cage, it’ll be fine.”

“I should have never agreed to all of this. I should have put my energy into talking my father out of this ridiculous security upgrade.”

“Can you blame him for wanting it? It’s obvious someone is stealing research. The upgrade was needed and using Marcus's company was still the right call. I just..” She paused, frowning up at him hating to admit defeat.

“You just what?”

“I just didn’t account for Abby in all of this. Hell, she was happily married and even though it was clear that he was in love with her, I never saw her marriage imploding the way it did. I thought I’d be able to..” She paused as she searched for the right word. “I thought I’d be able to distract him a little more effectively. Nothing I can’t work around.”

Cage leaned in and captured her lips with his. “I didn’t like the idea of you sleeping with him anyway.” He mumbled into her ear, trailing quick kisses down her cheek, her neck. 

“It was only the worst case scenario.”

“Two weeks Aurora. After that, I’m taking control.” She nodded against his lips and was just starting to let her hands run up his thighs when the sound of his cell phone ringing broke the moment. Cage pulled back, retrieving the device and frowning over at Aurora when he saw the name. “I need to get this.”

She leaned up, kissing him one last time before turning back towards the door. “See you at home.” He offered warmly as she turned and winked at him. As soon as the door closed, he accepted the call. 

“Thanks for calling me back Thelonious. Listen, I’ll get right to it. We have a problem and I need your help fixing it.”

Though Abby’s shift was supposed to be over by Noon, it was almost 1:30 by the time she actually made it to the parking garage. All she wanted to do was go home in sleep, but she only had a few hours before Clarke would be home from school. As tired as she was, she knew she was better off pushing through the evening and getting a solid night’s sleep rather than taking a nap and risk being up all night.

As the glass doors that separated the hospital from the parking garage slid open, a rush of cold air hit Abby. While Arkadia usually had a relatively temperate fall, there had been a bitter cold snap over the last week that had day time temperatures struggling to rise above freezing. The frigid wind cut through her like a knife, making her shiver. She grumbled as she pulled her jacket a little more snug to her body and kept walking. She wanted to sprint to her car, but she was too tired to move any faster than she already was. She had passed exhausted hours before and with each step her muscles screamed for relief.  _ Two weeks.  _ She repeated like a mantra in her head. It was the only thing keeping her upright at this point. Two more weeks and then she would be sitting on a beach in Maui with Marcus. A week in paradise with the love of her life was well worth the torture she was currently putting herself through. 

As Abby made the final turn towards her parking space, she started fumbling for her keys in her purse. She cursed her numb fingers for their inability to function and after struggling to pull the key fob from her purse she looked up to see a large figure standing next to her car.

“Oh God, Jake.. I’m so sorry. I was supposed to call you.” She apologized, cursing herself for the mental slip and hating that she once again gave him reason to bring up the hospital's role in the demise of their marriage. “It's ok. I know you get caught up sometimes. It’s not your fault.” 

_ Since when?  _ She thought as she tilted her head and tried to decide if she had missed an undertone of sarcasm. “Here,” he said, offering her a cup of coffee. “It’s not as hot as it was when I ordered it, but it should still be warm.” 

“Um.. Thanks.” She said reaching tentatively for the cup, surprised by the gesture.

“I’m sorry to just drop in on you, but I just..” He offered her a small smile. “I just really wanted to see you and um. To say how sorry I was for my behavior last week. It was uncalled for and I..” 

“It’s ok Jake.” She offered, recognizing he was attempting to apologize. “You were right. I should have told you. You were caught off guard and that was my fault.” A shiver ran through her body as another gust of cold air hit her tiny frame.

Knowing how much she hated the cold, Jake quickly slipped off his jacket and placed it on her shoulders as she watched him, completely taken by surprise as his sudden change in demeanor. 

“Are you feeling ok?” She teased lightly, hoping that he wouldn’t take offense. 

She saw the corner of his lip tug up and breathed a sigh of relief that he understood his behavior was very much out of character based on the last few months of interactions.

“Can’t have those feet turning into ice cubes. They’re already cold enough as it is.”

They shared soft smiles for a brief moment, both shifting uncomfortably on their feet. 

“I know you just worked a double and probably just want to go home and sleep, but can we go somewhere for a little while, so we can talk?”

Abby bit her lip as she considered her options. She really did just want to go home, but she felt bad pushing him off when he had obviously been waiting for her in the cold for an hour.

“Sure, we can go to that little café you used to like. Remember? The one across the street..” Jake smiled sadly at her and she tried not to read too much into the look she saw in his eyes.  _ What is that? Remorse? _ She shook her head and started to reach for the coat on her shoulders. 

“Here, It’s freezing. ”

“Keep it,” he insisted. “I’ll be fine. Can’t have you freeze to death on the walk to the cafe. It’d be kind of hard to apologize to a popsicle.” A soft laugh escaped her lips as he smiled down at her. 

“You’re freaking me out, Jake.” She teased as he looked down at the ground, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“Come on. Next coffee is on you.”


	34. Needed Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Abby have a much needed conversation.

After ordering fresh hot coffees, Abby waited by the counter while Jake moved to secure a small table in a quiet corner of the cafe. As she watched him out of the corner of her eye, she tried to bury the seed of uneasiness growing deep within her. It was clear that he wasn’t there to argue but given that most of their conversations over the last few months had devolved into screaming matches, she couldn’t help the apprehension she felt. 

Despite her misgivings, she was curious what he wanted to discuss. She suspected it had something to do with what had happened at Halloween, but with Jake’s erratic behavior over the last few months, she couldn't be sure. Sadly, she realized there wasn’t much she was sure of anymore when it came to him. There had been a time when she had been able to anticipate his every move, read him with a glance, but now things were different. 

On the surface, he was still Jake Griffin. The same boyishly handsome man with brilliant sky blue eyes that matched her daughter’s, but under the familiar exterior, was a man that she was almost certain she no longer knew. 

It was such a strange feeling. She knew everything about him, all of his likes and dislikes, all of the small intimate details that one learns when they share their life with another, but now, when she looked at him, she saw a stranger. 

He was no longer the man that she had married. He looked the same but in all the ways that mattered, he was unrecognizable. He was acting differently. Thinking differently. Reacting differently. Everything she thought she had known about who Jake Griffin was as a person, no longer applied. On some level she wondered how much of the man she had loved had been real and how much of him had been a carefully constructed lie. The change in him over the past months had been that dramatic. 

She glanced over her shoulder at him, observing him quickly as she tried to reconcile the Jake that had been at her house a week ago with the man sitting there today. His sudden change in demeanor was confusing. It was like a switch had been flipped and at least on the surface, he seemed like her old Jake again, gentle and kind. The duality that he now represented was so difficult to process. He was Jake, but he wasn’t. She didn't know exactly who he was anymore but to but to some extent she was going to have to figure it out. They had a daughter together which meant in some way, they would always be tethered to each other. She had no illusions that they could solve all of their problems in one conversation but given his almost amicable demeanor at the moment, she was hopeful that maybe they could at least make a start at figuring all of this out. For Clarke's sake, they had to try. What happened at Halloween could never happen again. 

After thanking the barista for the coffees, Abby made her way through the scattered tables to join Jake. For a few moments, they sat in comfortable silence, both sipping their coffees in an attempt to banish the last bit of cold from their bodies. Though she tried not to show it, Abby couldn’t get over how weird it felt to be there with him. Sitting in that cafe with Jake was so reminiscent of their life before everything had gone to hell. She knew that his chapter in her life was now firmly in the past, but it was hard to ignore the small part of her that still pondered the life that could have been. She had no doubt that Marcus was who she was supposed to be with, but she and Jake had been together for six years. It wasn't a lifetime, but it was long enough. Though Abby knew she wasn’t in love with Jake anymore, she did recognize that it was still going to take some time to completely turn the page. 

The silence between them eventually moved from comfortable to awkward, but Abby remained quiet, giving Jake the space he needed to work through his thoughts. She could tell by his furrowed brow that he was wrestling with his own thoughts. Though she wanted to break the ice and let him know she was open to what he had to say, she also wanted him to lead the conversation. It had been his idea to meet and she didn’t want to steer the conversation in a different direction that he had intended. So as difficult as it was, she patiently waited.

“Abby, I.. I need to apologize to you for what happened last week.” He finally said, breaking the silence. His eyes had met hers for a brief moment before dropping back to his cup, his thumbs sliding slowly up and down the ceramic mug as he tried to maintain his composure. “I don’t have any excuses. I fucked up and I let my anger at you and at Marcus take over. I don’t know why you didn’t tell me. I really wish that you would have..”

“Jake..” Abby said softly, but he cut her off before she could say anything else. 

“Abby, I promise I’m not here to fight with you. Just let me get this out okay?”

He looked up at her, his eyes heavy and remorseful. His expression surprised her. His words may have had an edge to him, but that sentiment was nowhere to be found on his face. She gave him a simple nod as her mouth slipped back closed, recognizing that it was best to just let him speak without interruption.

“I really wish you would have told me, BUT I think I understand why you didn’t. I’m not proud of my behavior over these last few months… over these last few years.” He added honestly, making her heart clench in her chest as the pain of his betrayal came back to the surface. “I know that we’re here, that our marriage ended because of me. I know you probably won’t ever believe me, but I never meant to hurt you. I know how fucked up that sounds, but I didn’t intend for it to end like this. You were..” He let out a jagged breath as his eyes met hers. “Abby, I made a promise to you that I didn’t keep. I can admit that. I made mistakes. Big ones.. Unforgivable ones and as much as I wish that we could have found a way through it, that somehow you could have forgiven me, I understand why you didn’t. Why you couldn't. I don’t blame you for leaving but that doesn’t mean that my heart doesn’t break every time I wake up and see that you’re not there. That my daughter isn’t there. That my family’s gone. Abby I’m always going to love you and you were right that day in the lawyer’s office. I threw away my family and I’m going to spend the rest of my life living with my mistakes.” 

Abby’s eyes were filled with unshed tears at Jake’s honestly. She didn’t know what to say. His confession had left her so taken by surprise that she was fighting to keep control of her emotions. 

“Abby, I don’t want Clarke to grow up seeing us fight all the time. It’s not fair to her. She didn’t ask for any of this and I want to do better.. for her. At some point, Harper isn’t going to be there to be our buffer and we’re going to have to find a way to be in the same room.. I know that I’m going to have to accept some things that I don’t want to accept but in order to do that, I need you to understand where I’m coming from in all of this. Abby, I’ve always known that you didn’t belong to me. I was constantly waiting on the day you would wake up and realize that you loved him more than you loved me and I should have shared those concerns with you.” Jake sat back in his chair, running his hand roughly over his face as Abby tried to process the words coming out of his mouth. “I should have told you that, but how do you have that conversation? I didn’t know how to deal with it so I buried it. I let it fester and I let it help me justify my choices. That wasn’t fair to either of us. I was so damn scared that once you knew how he felt, you’d be gone and that was a mistake. I should have talked to you. Especially after Marcus confirmed how he felt, I should have talked with you about it but I didn’t.”

Abby’s face was tight with confusion and for a moment she remained silent, his words too loud in her brain for her own thoughts to break through. “What do you mean.. after Marcus confirmed how he.... Jake, I don’t understand. When did he?” She couldn’t get the words out and recognizing that she was hearing this information for the first time, he shook his head, his lips pressed tightly together.

“He never told you about the conversation we had the night before our wedding, did he?”

Abby didn’t answer, she didn’t have to. Jake already knew that he hadn’t.

“You weren’t yourself that night Abby. It was clear that something was bothering you and I told myself that it was just nerves. I so wanted to believe that was all it was, but you just had this look on your face. After you and Callie left, I wasn’t ready to go home so I stopped by the bar in the restaurant and there was Marcus, sitting by himself looking like someone had just destroyed his entire world. As soon as I saw him, I knew. Everything all of a sudden made sense, even though I didn't want to believe it. He saw me so we ended up having a few drinks together and at some point, I just asked him.”

“Asked him what?”

“If he was in love with you...” Jake said flatly as Abby’s eyes grew wide. “And the bastard told me the truth.” He released a bitter laugh as he gripped his coffee, his fingers tapping mindlessly against the ceramic cup.

“He told me that he was in love with you and that he had been for a long time. He assured me that you had no idea how he felt and that he would always respect that you had chosen me. He promised me that he’d never be a threat to our marriage. That if I’d let him stay in your life, he would never act on his feelings. He promised me and I was dumb enough to believe him. I was stupid enough to believe that you had actually picked me over him but from that moment, I should have realized that our marriage was over before it even began. You always wanted him Abby. Maybe you didn't know it yet, but I saw it in your eyes that night and I saw it in his every time you walked in the room for the last six years. He promised me he’d never act on his feelings but the moment an opportunity presented itself...” 

“You thought he had betrayed your trust..” Abby whispered, releasing a long breath as her eyes slipped closed. She had been completely unprepared for the words that had left Jake’s mouth. Suddenly everything made sense. Jake’s absolute fury with her when her relationship with Marcus had moved from platonic to romantic. Jake’s constant animosity with Marcus, especially when it came to Clarke. It explained why he had flipped out when he learned that Abby had married Marcus so soon after their divorce had been finalized. 

“Jake, I don’t know what to say.” 

“There’s nothing to say Abby. Rationally, I know that I’m the one that opened the door for the two of you, but he sure didn’t waste any time walking through it. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t excuse my behavior.” Jake sat back, chewing on his lip as he looked everywhere but in her eyes. 

“Abby, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to accept the two of you together, but for Clarke’s sake I’m going to try. I just need time okay and for the time being, I think it’s best that Marcus and I aren’t around each other. Maybe one day, he and I can talk all of this out, but not yet. I’m not ready. I’m starting to unpack all of this, but that doesn’t mean that I've accepted it. My behavior last week was unacceptable and I know that I can’t lose control like that again. Especially not around Clarke. I’m mortified that she saw that side of me. I don’t know what came over me..” He let out a bitter laugh as he stroked his chin, “Well I do know what came over me but I lost control and I shouldn't have. I was wrong but Abby so were you.”

“I know.” She admitted earnestly. “Jake, you were blindsided by the wedding and you were justifiably upset. I should have told you and I'm sorry. Thank you for sharing this with me. It helps to understand some of what’s going on. I can appreciate that given what you’ve told me, it’s probably always going to be a little complicated between you and Marcus, but Jake, I don't want to fight with you.”

“I don’t want to fight with you either, but you need to understand that I’m not in a good place right now Abby. I’m still really angry. I’m angry at you. I’m angry at Marcus and most of all I’m angry with myself for letting us get to this point. If I had just been honest when you from the start.." He nodded in unspoken acceptance. "It’s hard enough to face that I lost you. I don’t want to lose Clarke too and I will if I continue to let my anger consume me. I’m going to lose her to Marcus just like I lost you.”

“Jake, you aren’t going to lose her. You’re her father and there's nothing that you can do to change that. She loves Marcus, I'm not go to pretend that she doesn't, but Jake you're her daddy and no one is trying to take that from you.” 

“Abby, I’m tired of feeling like this. I just want to find some peace with all of thing. To move forward.”

“I want that too Jake.” 

  
  



	35. Exile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby's day does not go as planned.

The next day Abby woke up a little more at peace. She and Jake still had quite a bit to work through, but for the first time in months, she felt like an amicable relationship with him was at least possible. As for Marcus and Jake, she still wasn’t sure. She had faith in Marcus’s ability to set aside their differences, but Jake clearly still harbored quite a bit of resentment. She didn’t know if he would ever truly be able to move past it. At least now, she knew why.

Abby had wanted to talk with Marcus about the conversation, but it had been very late by the time he had called and after listening to the details of his first meeting with Octavia, she hadn’t had the heart nor the energy to bring up Jake. Though Abby still had some apprehension about Aurora and her motives in all of this, she couldn’t deny how happy and relaxed Marcus had seemed. He had really been a mess since learning that he had a daughter, his internal struggle only deepening the longer Aurora kept him at a distance. He hated having such limited access to his child, but now that he had finally met Octavia, it was clear that he felt a little more at ease about the entire situation. 

At Aurora’s suggestion, they had gone to the Honolulu Zoo and then lunch afterwards. Aurora had simply introduced Marcus as an old friend, which he admitted hurt, but knowing that it was what was best for Octavia, at least for the time being, he didn’t fight the decision.

As Abby listened to Marcus’s observation’s of the little girl, she couldn’t help the feeling of uneasiness she still harbored. Something was off about the entire situation and though she had tried to bury it, she still didn’t trust Aurora. She knew that she was going to have to try and accept that all of this was real, but just like Jake with Marcus, Abby knew that trusting Aurora would take some time. 

“Oh Abby, you’re going to love her. She’s so curious. I really think she and Clarke are going to get along.” He beamed as he sent Abby photos he had taken earlier that day. It was clear that he was already smitten with the little girl and for the first time in Abby’s life, she wished that he would trust his head more than his heart. She didn’t know how or when, but she had an uneasy feeling that he was somehow going to end up hurt from all of this and that alone kept her on high alert.

As Marcus continued on about Octavia, Abby studied the photos, her heart breaking a little when she wasn’t able to deny the resemblance between the two. She hated herself for holding on to some hope that maybe it wasn’t true, but after seeing photos of Octavia and Marcus side by side, it was hard to ignore the hints of him present on the little girl’s face. 

Shaking the thought from her head, Abby unlocked the door to her office and sighed contently at the coffee and muffin waiting for her in the center of her desk. “God bless you Eric Jackson.” She murmured to no one in particular as she sat down at her desk, taking a long sip of the mocha latte and trying to recall how she had ever survived without him. Over the years, Eric had truly become her right hand and brought a balance to her work life that she had never previously experienced. On top of being a very competent and talented physician, he was also a wonderful friend. Eric was always looking after her, leaving snacks on her desk when he knew she was too busy to make it down to the cafeteria, picking up the slack when she was pulled in a million different directions, and bringing her coffee every morning because he refused to let her drink the awful stuff at the nurse’s station. Selfishly, she hoped that he would always be at her side, but the truth was he had developed into a very talented surgeon under her watch and she knew that that one day an offer would that he wouldn’t be able to refuse. She rarely let herself think of a future without him, it was just too depressing, so instead she focused the day to day and prayed that when he did leave, he wouldn't go far. 

  
  
  


Eight hours and two aortic repairs later, Abby shuffled back to her office, her body threatening to collapse from sheer exhaustion. Though she felt as if she had slept well the night before, her current energy level told a very different story and she groaned softly when her eyes landed on the stack of med renewals waiting for her review on the corner of the desk. All she wanted to do was go home and crawl in bed, but she still had at least two hours of paper work, plus an evening with her energetic daughter to survive before that would be possible. She had already decided that she would pick up dinner from Roan’s on the way home and had also sent a message to Marcus asking if they could talk a little earlier than normal. Though she lived for her late night talks with him, she was confident there was no way she was making it to their 9:00 PM call.

“Abby, you okay?”

She looked up to see Eric standing in her doorway, his eyebrows knitted together in concern. 

“Yeah, just didn’t sleep well last night.” She said ruefully, “And my first surgery went long so I skipped lunch. I think it’s just catching up with me.” She admitted, a weak smile on her face as she watched her friend’s lips press together in silent judgement.

“I may still have a granola bar or two in my office. I can run and look if you’d like.” He offered leaning against her door frame, his arms crossed over his body as he continued to study her.

She shook her head, frowning softly at him. “I’m okay. Once I get done with these renewals, I’m heading home, eating dinner, and going to bed.” 

“Want me to take care of some of those for you?” He offered, moving further into her office and sitting down in the chair next to her desk, his eyes still trained on her as if he thought she might collapse at any moment. 

“Stop looking at me like that!” She huffed, grabbing the folder on top of the file and opening it in front of her.

“Like what?”

She started to open her mouth, but softened at the concern in his eyes. He’s just being Eric, she reminded herself, taking a deep breath to quell her annoyance. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m sure you have other things to do than helping me with my paperwork.” 

“Not really..” He said flatly, shrugging his shoulders. “With Nate gone…”

She raised an eyebrow at him, but before she could say anything, her phone rang. Eric could tell by the small smile that danced across her face that it was Marcus. 

“Go ahead. Tell him I said hi..” He said warmly, nodding towards the phone in her hand as he pushed himself up and grabbed half of her renewal files before she could stop him.

“I’ll have these back before you head out.” He winked, turning and disappearing down the hall, leaving her blinking back tears that were beginning to sting her eyes. “I love you Eric!” She called after him, laughing softly as she heard a “I know you do!” echo back down the hall. 

An hour later, Eric made his way back to Abby’s office, but stopped short of entering when he saw the undeniable look of annoyance on her face. He was well acquainted with her moods and for a moment, debated if it was really the best time to interrupt her. After a moment of silent deliberation, he finally knocked softly, entering the room only after she stopped writing and glanced up at him over her reading glasses. 

“What’s wrong? You have that look.” He said frankly placing the stack of folders back on her desk and raising a brow at her.

She grimaced as she dropped her pen and narrowed her eyes at him. “Did you adjust meds on Bryce Thomas last week? I moved him to Verapamil two weeks ago and now he’s back on Amiodarone.” 

Eric shook his head as he walked behind her and looked down at the open file. 

“I didn’t make any changes, no. I did notice the adjustment when I was looking over his chart last week, but when he moved back to Amiodarone a few days ago, I just assumed he hadn’t responded well to the change. So you didn’t approve it?”

Abby looked up at him, her face twisting in confusion at his question. “No.”

“Actually, I noticed that almost everyone shifted back to a Wallace product this week. I was going to ask you about it. You’ve been working so hard to move away from their line. I was wondering what changed.”

“I didn’t make any adjustments this week.” She huffed grabbing the flies he had just set down and thumbing through the first few in the stack.

“Eric, I didn’t make these changes. I’ve only ordered meds off the Merck line.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Everyone has actually.”

She glared up at him. “Is it that obvious?”

“That you’ve been avoiding anything and everything Wallace produced?” He bobbed his head, raising his eyebrows as he thought about her question. “Well, given the number of new reps sniffing around here everyday, I’d say yes. They nurses are going crazy keeping them off the floor. I’m surprised Jaha hasn’t fussed at you yet. You know he’s going to throw a tantrum when he finds out.”

“Just because they’re a donor doesn’t mean they own us, Eric. You know that..”

Eric held up his hands in defeat as he moved back to the chair beside her desk. “I know, we go with the best med for the patient, but you know his preference. That’s all I’m saying.. I was thinking maybe it was some kind of conflict of interest since Marcus owns the AST and Nate said they had some major contract that was signed…” Abby shook her head as she dropped her eyes back to the file.

“No, it’s nothing like that. I’m just not comfortable with them right now, so I went with an equivalent. I’m allowed to prescribe as I see fit, but what I don’t understand is who moved them back if it wasn’t you.”

She chewed her lip as she opened her laptop and pulled up the computer program that managed all of their patient care. She typed in a few different names, scowling as she made notations on the notepad next to her computer. Eric watched as her frustration bloomed into something more, and he silently braced for what he anticipated was coming.

By 8:15 the next morning, Abby was pacing in the lobby outside Jaha’s office. She had tried to find him after she had discovered Tsing’s name on her patients’ prescriptions, but by the time she had made the journey to his tenth floor office, he had already left. Despite her exhaustion, she had spent the night going over every one of her patient’s charts and making detailed notations on when medications had been adjusted away from what she had prescribed. She was livid at the number of changes Tsing had made, but what was even more infuriating was that Tsing’s meddling had extended well past just her hospitalized patients. She had even made adjustments to maintenance medications for some of her discharged patients, including her beloved Reese. Abby had spent that last month, researching alternative medications and slowly moving all of her patients away from Wallace drugs given what she and Marcus had found together, but in one week, Tsing had changed every one back. 

She had finally gone too far. It was one thing for Tsing to make adjustments when Abby had been on leave, but that wasn't the case this time. Abby was a full time, active physician. There was no reason for anyone except for Eric, who was on her team, to make adjustments without her knowledge. Making unilateral medication adjustments for patients not on your service wasn’t just frowned upon, it wasn’t allowed. Tsing had majorly overstepped her authority and Jaha wouldn’t be able to protect her this time. He would, at the very least, have to give her a formal reprimand, maybe even put her in front of the ethics board.

Jaha made Abby wait for twenty minutes before he finally opened the door and summoned her in. Given the lengthy voicemail she had left him, she had expected him to be eager to talk with her but instead, he almost seemed annoyed that she was there. 

“I don’t have a lot of time Abby, so this will need to be brief. What’s wrong now?” He chided, moving behind his desk and taking a slow sip of his water as he waited on her response. 

Startled by his dismissive posture, Abby tried to regain her composure, wondering if maybe he hadn’t listened to her entire message. “You did get my voicemail, right?”

“I did.” He answered flatly, giving her a half shrug. “I’m not sure what the problem is.”

Abby sat back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest as she silently assessed him. She couldn’t believe that he was actually going to sit there and pretend that what Tsing had done was acceptable.

“You’re not sure what the problem is?” She repeated slowly, trying to breathe through the tightness spreading over her chest. “I have to admit, I thought you’d be a little more concerned. I know she’s your little pet, but this isn’t acceptable, Theo, and you know it. She’s changed every prescription I’ve issued over the last month.”

“I know.” He confirmed, not offering any further explanation.

“You know?”

“Of course I do. I’m the one that asked her.”

Abby released a harsh breath as she glared at Jaha. “And why the hell would you tell her to do that? She’s an oncologist who’s spent the last five years in a research lab. What qualifications does she have to prescribe medications for my patients?”

“It’s not that hard Abby. She can reference the PDR.”

“Are you serious? She doesn’t even have her certification in cardiology or pulmonology. Most of my patients have serious and very complicated medical profiles. You can’t just throw a dart at the PDR and hope you pick the right medication. She could have killed someone if she picked the wrong thing!”

“Quit being dramatic! She looked up what each patient was on and found the Wallace equivalent. It really wasn’t that difficult and if you had done your job in the first place, I wouldn’t have needed her help.”

“So what? I’m not allowed to prescribe something unless it comes from Wallace now? Guess I missed that email.” 

“Abby, we’ve been over this. When available, we go with the Wallace product. It’s really not that hard.”

“They aren’t the only drug manufacturer out there Theo and just because you’re besties with the owner’s son doesn’t mean that their product is always the best choice.”

“Do you have any idea how much research money they provide us each year?”

“I know Cage Wallace takes you out to a fancy dinner a few times a month and that all of a sudden you’re driving a pretty sweet, top of the line Tesla. Kind of extravagant, even for your salary… Don’t you think?”

“How I spend my salary is none of your damn business Abby, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you at some of those same dinners over the years, so spare me the self righteous bull shit.”

“The difference is you enjoy being there. I’m only there when the hospital forces me to be.”

“Abby, it’s very simple. We’re a Wallace hospital. We use their products and in return they help fund our research. It’s a relationship that has served this hospital very well over the years.”

Abby laughed bitterly at the short sightedness of the hospital’s chief of medicine. “And how much are they paying YOU for that loyalty?”

“You need to watch your tone, Abby.”

“And you need to stop selling your soul to Wallace and start trusting your doctors!” She spat back, enraged at his behavior. “If you had a problem with the medications I was prescribing for MY patients, then you should have just had a conversation with me about it instead of sending your lapdog to do your dirty work! It’s unacceptable for you to change my patients’ medications without my consent. It’s outrageous and opens the hospital up to all kinds of liability concerns. Did she bother to see if any of the patients had previous negative reactions to the medication she prescribed? Did she check each medication against the others on their med load to look for possible negative interactions? Or did she just look it up just on the Wallace excel and make the change? If something would have happened, it would have fallen on me, not her. When I make my choices, I accept responsibility and for her to just come in and start screwing with my work is unacceptable.”

“Would you have listened? If I had told you to change them all back, would you have obeyed the request?”

Abby narrowed her eyes at him, feeling like a child being admonished by a parent. “Wow and here I was thinking that I actually had some control of my patients’ care. Wonder what the board of directors would think about this? Maybe the ethics board? Or are they all on Wallace’s payroll too?”

“You’re one to talk about ethics.” He challenged, the corner of his lip tilting up as he trained his eyes on her.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, maybe the board would be interested in learning that one of our surgeons is helping her husband steal research data from one of our biggest donors and then helping him sell it to the highest bidder.”

Abby’s face twisted at Jaha’s insane accusation. “Excuse me?”

“I’d sure hate for a rumor like that to get out. That could really damage the hospital’s relationship with our primary donor and given the choice, I’m pretty sure the board would choose to terminate that doctor rather than lose millions of dollars in research grants each year.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“You know it’s always been interesting to me how information and data can be manipulated to show what you want it to show. How easily people can be made to believe things.. It’s just all in how you frame the information.”

“You can’t be serious, Theo.” She challenged, gripping the arms of her chair to control the anger coursing through her veins. “God, you sound like a bag guy from a cliche gangster movie. Marcus isn’t stealing anything and he’s certainly not selling information. That’s bullshit and you know it. He was hired by Wallace to find a leak, not participate in it and last I checked, he’s doing his job so you can tell your little puppet master to back off.”

“Listen Abby, I’m trying to be a friend here. He’s messing with the wrong people, and so are you. Sometimes, it’s best to just let things be. You need to do what you’re being told to do and your husband would be wise to take the same advice. Prescribe what you’re being told to prescribe and keep your nose out of things that have nothing to do with you. Quit trying to go after Tsing every chance you get. She’s connected in ways you can’t imagine and you’re not going to win this one. You’re a talented surgeon Abby, even if you are a royal pain in my ass. I’d sure hate to lose you but if you can’t do what you’re being told to do, then I can promise you, I’ll find someone who will.”

Abby squared her shoulders at Jaha, trying to understand what in the world he was talking about. “I’m sorry, is that a threat?”

“Just some advice. Take it or leave it.”

“Some advice?” She repeated, shaking her head as her jaw set in a hard line. 

“Yes, Abby, advice… You should really consider taking some for a change. I’ve told you everything you need to know. Now, if you’re done with your little witch hunt, I really have work I need to do.”

Abby released a harsh breath pushing herself up out of the chair and walking back towards the door. “You know what? I do too. I have a ton of script corrections to call in.”

“Abby!” He said harshly, standing up and pressing his hand on his desk as he leaned forward glaring at her. “You won’t change a single damn one of those prescriptions and you’ll do nothing but prescribe Wallace products until I tell you otherwise. You work for me and you’ll do what you’re being told to do or I’ll suspend you for insubordination!”

“Then suspend me!” She shot back. “Wallace may own you, but they don’t own me!”

“Why do you have to be so difficult?”

“And why do you have to be such an insufferable asshole?”

“Three weeks! Unpaid! Effective immediately!”

Abby stared at him, her fists clenching at her side as she glared at her boss. “You’re pathetic! You know that?”

“I can make it permanent if you’d like.”

Abby scoffed, “You can’t do that. You don't have the authority and we both know it!” 

“You’d be surprised. Fill Doctor Jackson in on your caseload and then I want you out of here. You need to go home and figure out if your stubbornness is worth your career.”

.

Abby slammed the door behind her as she stormed back to the lobby. She was so furious that she barely registered the other occupant of the room. She had almost reached the door when a familiar voice called out, bringing her to an abrupt halt. 

“You really should listen to Jaha. He’s just looking out for you.”

Abby spun around, her eyes immediately seeking out the source of the unsolicited advice. She opened her mouth to respond, but her words died on her tongue when she saw Cage Wallace’s smug face grinning sadistically at her. “Oh I left a new copy of our drug guide on your desk before heading up here, but I guess you won’t be needing it for a few weeks huh?”

  
  



	36. Back Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby decides she's tired of being away from Marcus.

An hour and a half after storming out of Jaha’s office, Abby finally arrived home, her head feeling as hollow as her heart. Everything had happened so quickly that she was still trying to wrap her mind around it all. Her suspension, Jaha’s threat, Cage’s presence.. None of it made any rational sense but at the same time it explained so much. Her brain was on overload trying to put it all together, but even without understanding all the moving parts, she felt confident that she had just connected a few more dots in the ever expanding Wallace mystery. One thing was abundantly clear, Jaha was up to something with Cage. The question was what was he doing and to what extent was he involved? 

At the very least, Jaha was a passive participant, coming into play only when needed, but Abby suspected his involvement went beyond the surface. He and Cage were just a little too close. It seemed that Cage was at the hospital on a weekly basis, which wasn’t that unusual when it came to drug reps and staff doctors, but a rep having a weekly meeting with the chief of staff was a bit unheard of. Each week, like clockwork, Cage would visit Jaha and the pair would spend hours together behind closed doors. Each month the Wallace research grants continued to flow into the Arkadia Hospital System. There had to be a connection there. No business was that benevolent and no chief had that kind of time to spend listening to a sales pitch. 

Abby was determined to figure this out, but she needed time. Time alone to think about what Jaha had said. To reason out what role he, and by extension the hospital, could possibly play in all of this. Unfortunately, she had yet to find a moment to be alone with her thoughts. Word of her suspension had obviously traveled quickly and from the moment she had left the parking garage, her phone had been ringing non stop. Every time she would hear the familiar sound, she would look down, grimace and send it quickly to voicemail. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the many coworkers reaching out to offer support, she absolutely did, but she wasn’t ready to face questions that couldn’t really be answered, not truthfully at least. She felt awful about ignoring her friends, but until she could wrap her mind around what was happening, she didn’t want to talk to anyone. 

Well, that wasn’t exactly accurate. There were two exceptions - Eric and Marcus. Three if you counted Callie, but she was across the country at a conference for the next week. Abby already knew what her reaction to the suspension would be, so she decided not to burden her with a problem that couldn’t be fixed. She would fill her in later.  _ Maybe by the time she gets back, I’ll know what the hell is going on _ , Abby bemoaned.

Marcus had been the first person Abby had called after leaving Jaha’s office, but the call had gone straight to voicemail. She hadn’t been surprised. Not only was he two hours behind her, but he was due to be in meetings all morning. It would likely be lunch time before they would connect. 

Eric was a different story. She had really wanted to talk with him before leaving, but he had been in the middle of a lecture with the hospital’s new interns when she had returned from the admin offices. She had thought about waiting on him to finish, but knowing how quickly the rumor mill worked around the hospital, she had decided it was best to get out of there before she was stuck in an uncomfortable conversation.

As expected, Eric's call had come not too long after she had left. He had been furious to hear about her suspension, and it had taken a tremendous amount of persuading to stop him from going up to Jaha’s office to fight for her. In all the years that she had known him, she had never heard him so irate, and though she appreciated his loyalty, she was unwilling to let him do something that could damage his career. Given what had happened that morning, she knew Jaha wouldn’t think twice about suspending Eric too and she wasn’t about to give him that satisfaction. It was bad enough that she had been drawn into this insanity, there was no way she was going to let them pull Eric in as well. 

During their conversation, Eric had peppered her with questions, wanting to know everything that had been said but she had been deliberately brief with her answers, only offering the details that he needed to know. She explained that Jaha had authorized Tsing to change the meds, but she had intentionally omitted Jaha’s threat and Cage’s comments to her. She wasn’t sure how much Eric knew about what was happening at Wallace, but given that he had yet to bring it up with her, she suspected that Nate hadn't told him much. To be fair, even Nate didn’t know the full scope of what was being hidden in the transfers. As far as Nate was concerned, someone was just trying to steal research data and both she and Marcus were content for him to continue to believe that. The more they learned about the situation, the fewer people they wanted to involve. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust their friends, but they didn’t want to put anyone else in danger. She hated keeping Eric and Nate in the dark, but for now it was what was best. 

Before getting off the phone with Eric, Abby had asked him to go to her office and pull all her current patient files. He had promised he would spend the rest of the day reviewing each one and they agreed to talk the next day so she could relay patient specific information. She was livid that Jaha had done this to her, but the silver lining was that Eric was still there to make sure none of her patients’ care suffered in her absence. It was the only thing that allowed her to walk away feeling a little less guilty. 

What Abby couldn’t piece together was how Jaha fit into all of this. Cage was clearly using him to get to her, but the question was why? Aurora had already confirmed that Cage was aware of what Marcus had been doing, so if he had wanted to send a message, why not use her? Why go through all the trouble of involving Jaha and creating this ridiculous situation with Tsing? Maybe Cage thought that by intimidating her, threatening her career, Marcus would back down, but on some level that didn’t make sense either. Jaha had known her for years and should have understood better than most that she was not one to back down from a fight. He would have known that threatening her or her family would only make her more determined to do what she thought was right, so why even go down that road?

It seemed ridiculous, but at the same time there was no other explanation for what had happened. Jaha had set her up. He had intentionally put her in a position where she would lose her temper, and then come to him for resolution. Given her history with Tsing, it was expected that she would be furious and that she wouldn’t react well to Jaha’s dismissive position. Jaha had intentionally stoked her anger, knowing that her reaction would give him the excuse he had needed to justify a suspension. The simple fact that Cage had been there, sitting outside of Jaha’s office when she walked out, spoke volumes as to whose idea this had been. His presence had been no coincidence and knowing that Jaha had agreed to play along with the desires of that psychopath made her sick to her stomach. 

Knowing that Tsing was Jaha’s lap dog, Abby couldn’t help but wonder if she was somehow tied into all of this as well. For years, Lorelei had walked the line of medical ethics and every time she had stepped over, Jaha had always been there to protect her. Now it was starting to make sense why. Truth be told, she wasn't really surprised that Tsing would be involved with someone like Cage, but Jaha’s connection had truly disappointed her. She had never really liked the man, but she had at least respected him as a physician. There had been a time when he had put the patients first, encouraging others to always do what was right, but at some point over the last few years all of that had started to change. There had been a shift in his policies, and it was obvious by his mandates that he was now more concerned with the hospital’s bottom line than the quality of patient care. Given what she knew now, she wondered how much of that was a direct result of Cage's influence. The shifts in policies had lined up with Wallace’s partnership with the hospital and it was disturbing for Abby to think that Jaha had fallen victim to his own greed and ambition. The question now was how many others had also fallen into that trap? How many other people at the hospital had Cage pulled into his web? The more she thought about it, the more she questioned what was really happening down in the research wing of the hospital. Wallace had invested quite a bit of money in the Arkadia Hospital System over the last few years and now, it begged the question why? What were they getting out of this little arrangement?

After tossing her keys on the kitchen counter, Abby retreated to Marcus’s office to review some of the transfer files she hadn’t yet read. Marcus had mentioned there were quite a few email print outs in the envelope and suddenly Abby was curious if she would recognize any names. She knew it was unlikely, but she couldn’t fight the urge to look. It was just a gut feeling, but she felt like somehow the hospital was tied into all of this. Wallace donated more money to the Arkadia Hospital System than any other hospital system in the country. If they were dumping that much money into the hospital, they were definitely getting something out of it and it wasn’t just product loyalty. The longer she sat with her thoughts, the more the potential scope of all of this started to overwhelm her. What if the hospital was somehow participating in some of the research and testing? Maybe the hospital was being used to look like they were doing trials, but the real work was being done illegally in one of the labs. What if the hospital just did the final testing so the FDA reports looked clean? Suddenly, nothing seemed off the table. There was no telling what was really going on and part of her became concerned that somehow she and Marcus had stumbled onto something that was much larger than they had realized. Marcus had been adamant that they gather more information before going to the authorities, but given how far reaching this all could be she wasn’t sure if it was wise for them to continue this investigation alone. 

After ten minutes of attempting to read the print outs, Abby finally gave up. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t quiet her mind long enough to focus on anything. She was so consumed with trying to put all the pieces together, so distracted by the fragments of information swirling around in her mind, that she couldn't see the big picture. It was like trying to remember a dream, all the pieces are there, but try as you might, you just can’t make sense of it or get it in the right order. There were just too many moving parts to this thing and her brain just couldn’t make sense of it all. 

The longer she sat there, the more she realized she was fighting a losing battle. She wasn’t going to solve this in one sitting. She needed to distract herself for a little while, occupy her mind with something or some else for a while, but unfortunately the person she usually went to for that kind of thing was currently sitting in an office building half an ocean away. 

_ Marcus.. _ Her mind offered in a moment of clarity. Her head lifted from her hands and she sat back in his office chair, the sudden realization hitting her that she now had nothing but time. She had three weeks with nowhere to be and nothing to do. Her eyes drifted to the calendar on the desk and as she looked at the dates, she realized there was no reason to sit around an empty house when she could jump on a plane and be in Marcus’s arms by bedtime. Sure, she wasn’t supposed to leave for Hawaii for another eleven days, but tickets could be changed and she knew Marcus wouldn’t object to her arriving early. 

The only complication was Clarke. She still had a week and a half of school before Thanksgiving break. She thought about asking Jake to take her earlier than planned, but she honestly had no idea how he would react to that request. When they had spoken, he had mentioned his hope that having Clarke over the break would allow him the opportunity to repair the damage he had caused with her at Halloween. Maybe he would want the extra time with her. The more she thought about it, the more it started to make sense that he might say yes. It didn’t hurt to ask. The worst that could happen was that he would say no and she would just have to wait out the days until it was time to leave for Maui. 

  
  


Four hours later, Abby was sitting in the back seat of an Uber on the way to the airport. She couldn’t believe how easily everything had fallen together. It had taken a little convincing, but Jake had agreed to take Clarke. She knew he had been curious as to the sudden change of plans, but to his credit, he didn’t ask too many questions. He had uncharacteristicallyaccepted her explanation at face value and simply requested that she keep him in the loop if anything changed. To her surprise, he even offered to contact Harper and make the necessary changes to her schedule so it was one less thing Abby had to worry about. 

With Clarke covered for the next few weeks, Abby had called Raven for help with the flight. She hated to bother her, but knowing that it had been Raven that had arranged the flight for her to Maui, she seemed like the logical choice to assist with changing the ticket. Raven had been more than happy to help and had even been able to secure Abby a seat on a flight leaving for Honolulu that evening. She had booked Abby a first class seat and had even arranged for a car service to pick her up from the airport and take her to Marcus’s apartment, already knowing that he and the staff would be working late that evening. 

After sending Marcus a text that she was flying out to see him and asking for him to call whenever possible, she gathered everything she thought Clarke might need for the next two weeks and dropped it all off at Jake’s house before driving to the school to have lunch with her daughter. She needed to explain her sudden departure to the young girl and hoped she wouldn’t be too upset. Abby had tried not to take it personally, but Clarke had clearly been more disappointed that Abby was going to be seeing Marcus without her than she was that Abby herself was going to be gone. She had shamelessly begged Abby to let her come too, but when that didn’t work, she pouted with impressive commitment. Thankfully Abby, knowing her daughter, had offered to take her to see the sea turtles when she came out to the island after Thanksgiving and that, as well the promise of a new set of colored pencils, had appeased the girl. 

After returning to the house, Abby had packed for herself and then finally connected with Marcus. Knowing that he was working, she hadn’t wanted to upset him with all of the details, so she had given him the short version about the suspension and suggested that they discuss the rest in person. As expected, he had pushed for more details, instinctively knowing she was holding back, but had finally relented after the reminder that she would be there with him in a few hours. He had jotted down her flight information and had promised to try and be there to pick her up, but she had assured him that Raven had already arranged for her to get to the apartment. He still insisted that he wanted to try, but admitted he felt better that there was a plan in place if he wasn’t successful.

It was almost 7:30 pm by the time Abby arrived at Marcus’s place, which was 9:30 pm Arkadia time. She was exhausted from the days’ activities, but it had all been worth it to finally be there. As soon as the door to the apartment closed behind her, she felt the stress of the day start to melt away. Hints of Marcus’s cologne still hung in the air and she smiled as she saw little pieces of him scattered around the room, his sweatshirt on the couch, his sunglasses that he had likely forgotten on the kitchen island. 

Since she was alone, Abby allowed herself a moment to explore the rooms that she had previously only seen through a computer screen. The apartment wasn’t large, but it was perfect for what Marcus had needed.Things might be a little tight once Clarke joined them, but for now, it was perfect. After visiting each room, Abby finally stepped out onto the balcony, a contented sigh leaving her lips as she was finally able to experience the view that Marcus had told her about. He had sent her pictures, but they hadn’t really done it justice. The view was breathtaking, even at night and she already knew that much of her time would be spent out on that balcony, staring out at the Pacific. 

Despite the long, stressful day Abby was strangely at ease and full of energy. Gone were the nerves and anxiety of the morning. She knew that her mind was still somewhat wrestling with the fragments of details floating through her mind, just in the background, but the excitement of seeing Marcus was enough to temporarily vanquish the chaos. The problems would still be there tomorrow. For now, she just wanted to focus on him, seeing him in person instead of through a screen, being able to enjoy the feel of his hands on her body. 

At that last thought, Abby made her way into the bathroom to take a shower. Looking down at her watch, she figured she had a good forty five minutes before he would be home, plenty of time to shower and dry her hair. After grabbing a few things from her suitcase, she made her way into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It only took a minute for the room to fill with thick steam and after undressing, she stepped into the warm spray. She relaxed as the water caressed her skin, the soothing cascade of water washing away the last of her stress. She took her time, making sure to thoroughly wash, shave and exfoliate every inch of her body, not the quick shower that she had become accustomed to over the last weeks. 

After rinsing her hair one final time, Abby stood facing the spray, letting her eyes slip closed as the water ran down the front of her body. A moment later, she heard the shower door open behind her and a huge smile grew on her face as she anticipated what was about to happen. 

“You’re early.” She murmured as she first felt his lips on her neck and then his body pressing against her back, his hand on her hip. It had been weeks, and it didn’t take long for her body to respond to his touch. With a soft moan of encouragement, she tilted her head to the side, granting him full access to her neck. He eagerly accepted the invitation and moved closer against her, his hands slowly drifting around her body and up to gently squeeze her breasts.

She could feel his need for her, hot and thick against her lower back and a shiver ran down her spine as he whispered, “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I brought you something.” She breathed, as his hands kneaded and caressed her. 

“Is that something you?” He teased, increasing the pressure and enjoying the fullness of her breasts in his hands.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she moved her right hand to his and gently urged it down her body. 

“Yes..” She whispered, slowly encouraging him to slide his hand further and further down. “And no..” 

Just as his hand dropped below her belly button, she gave him a gentle squeeze, urging him to stop well above where he was expecting. She held her breath, hoping in silence that he would put the pieces together. It took a moment, but she finally felt him freeze behind her, his left hand dropping from her breast to join his other on the unmistakable swell of her lower abdomen. She heard him take in a sudden breath and as she turned her head to see his face, she could see the mixture of excitement and confusion in his eyes. 

“Abby? Are you?” He questioned, the words sticking in his throat. 

She smiled brightly up at him and gave him a quick nod, tears forming in both of their eyes as he turned her body to face him, his jaw slack with surprise as his eyes darted down to her little belly.

“Are you serious? Abby, you can’t be serious!” He whispered, his voice full of raw emotion.

“I am serious.” She mouthed, barely able to get the words out of her mouth. 

He beamed down at her, his hand stroking her cheek as he leaned down to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. Abby's arms went around his neck and when the kiss broke, he whispered against her lips.

“How.. How far along are you?” 

“Twelve weeks.” 

Marcus’s eyes went wide as he processed her words. 

“How did you? I just saw you a few weeks ago. How did I miss this?”

“I wasn’t really showing yet. I popped about a week after you left.” She laughed, trying to keep her emotions from completely overwhelming her. She was so happy and relieved that he finally knew. Keeping this secret from him over the past 6 weeks had been the hardest thing she had ever done in her life. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He questioned softly as his eyes bore into hers. 

“You know why.” She answered honestly, frowning up at him. “I wanted to make sure.. “ She swallowed hard as her face crumpled. “I couldn’t do that to you. If it happened again.. I didn’t want to get your hopes up just to.. ”

“Oh honey.” He said gathering her in his arms as he dropped a kiss to the top of her head. He could feel her small belly pressed up against his and he couldn’t stop the corners of his lips from tugging up at the new sensation. “I understand why you wanted to protect me, but honey, what happens to you happens to me. You know this.” He pulled back and stared down at her, doing his best to give her a reassuring smile. “I would have never wanted you to go through anything like that alone.”

As he watched her, he could see her struggling to keep her emotions in check. The wounds from her previous miscarriage were still very fresh and though he truly did understand why she hadn’t told him, he hated that she had been prepared to carry that kind of burden alone.

He reached out, cupping her cheek and smiling as his thumb wiped away a stray tear.

“So everything.. I mean, the baby is...” 

Abby’s eyes locked with his as she nodded, a large smile growing on her face. “Callie did an ultrasound last week.” She answered, a happy sob escaping her lips. “The baby looks great. Everything looks really good. Growing steadily.. Strong heart beat.”

“What about you? How have you been feeling?” He questioned, his mind recalling how sick she had been the last time. 

“Really tired.” She answered honestly. “Especially the last few weeks, but it’s getting better and I’ve managed to keep the nausea pretty well controlled. Eric and Callie have been taking really good care of me. Making sure that I stayed hydrated and that I actually stopped to eat.”

“So Eric knows?”

She nodded apologetically, “Yeah, he figured it out a few weeks ago. I think Callie let it slip so he could keep an eye on me.”

“I’ll have to thank him for taking such good care of you.”

“Marcus..” Abby frowned sensing some hurt in his words that he wasn’t the first to know. 

“Don’t be.” He offered sincerely, trying to reassure her that he wasn’t upset. 

“I’m thankful that they were there when I couldn’t be.” He reached behind her, turning off the water and taking her by the hand, leading her from the shower. 

Wordlessly, he pulled a towel from the rack and reverently dried off her body, stopping briefly to admire the gentle swell of her belly. Abby’s heart melted at the tenderness that Marcus was showing, but the beauty of the moment was interrupted by the growl of her stomach. 

Marcus tried hard, but was unable to suppress his laughter.

“Eric’s not here, so I guess it’s my turn to make sure you eat. What are you hungry for?”

Marcus watched as a familiar look suddenly appeared on her face. 

“What I’m hungry for doesn’t come from the kitchen.” Abby purred as her hand snaked between them, her mischievous grin only growing as he felt her fingers close around him. “Dinner can wait.”

It took every ounce of strength he had, but he pulled back watching as the smile on her face morphed into a disappointed frown.

“Dinner first, then dessert.” He said in a low voice that made her shiver with anticipation.

“What if I want dessert first?” She questioned defiantly. He closed the distance between them, dropping his head to capture his lips with his. For a moment she thought she had won, but then he broke the kiss and tutted down at her. 

“Trust me, you’re going to need the energy.”

  
  



	37. Morning Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus and Abby enjoy the morning and reflect on their new reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, huge thanks to Jamie and Ziv for finding all my grammatical errors and their constant encouragement!

Marcus didn't know what had pulled him from his sleep, but something had and, despite his best efforts, he was frustratingly awake. He tried to remain still, keeping his eyes closed as he attempted to push all thoughts from his head, but it was too late. His mind had already started waking up.  _ Figures, _ he thought bitterly.  _ The one day I can actually sleep in. _

Despite his mind's alertness, his body was still heavy and weak with exhaustion, making him wonder what time it actually was. He had been struggling with insomnia on and off since arriving in Hawaii, so there really was no telling. It could be five or it could be midnight. 

Reluctantly, he reached out for his phone, suspecting it was early morning, but hoping he was wrong. He had already decided that if it was close to midnight, he’d take some melatonin and hope for the best, but if it was closer to dawn, he’d get up and take care of some work before Abby woke up. Depending on the time, he even thought about running down the street to the cafe on the corner to grab some fresh coffee and a few of the amazing malasadas he had discovered his first week on the island. He had learned that first thing in the morning, when they were fresh from the fryer, the dough would just melt in your mouth and just thinking about the delicious pastry had his mouth watering and his stomach rumbling.

He touched the screen of his phone and his eyes slammed back shut, the pain of the bright light causing a soft curse to fall from his lips. It took him a few minutes but finally he was able to open his eyes long enough to focus on the screen. The number four was the first thing he saw and with a soft growl, he dropped the phone back on the table without bothering to read the rest of the digits. Definitely too early to be awake. 

He rolled onto his side, his eyes sliding back closed as he shifted towards Abby’s side of the bed. His mind was now firmly set on a box of hot malasadas, but the cafe didn’t open until 5:00 am, so he decided he’d spend the next forty five minutes snuggled up to his beautiful, pregnant wife. 

_ His pregnant wife..  _ He mused, biting his bottom lip as his heart started to beat a little faster. He still couldn’t quite believe how much life had changed for them over the last six months. They had gone from friends, to lovers, to so much more and now, they were having a baby together. He was going to be a father. It almost didn’t feel real. 

For a moment, his mind drifted to his other unexpected surprise. AST was on the down slide of their time in Honolulu, which meant that before too long, he would be thousands of miles away from Octavia. As desperate as he was to get back home to Arkadia, especially now, he couldn’t ignore that leaving Hawaii also meant leaving his daughter. He had only spent one day with her, but she already owned a piece of his heart and it pained him to think he might only see her a few times a year. 

He needed some time with Octavia, some one-on-one interactions to try and set the foundation for a relationship, but at every turn Aurora was coming up with some excuse why they couldn’t meet. Every week he would suggest something and every week it was the same, they were going somewhere or doing something and it wasn’t a good time. Abby had encouraged him to be a bit more forceful, but he was reluctant to force the issue. Nothing good could come from creating a hostile relationship with Aurora, and seeing the toll that Jake and Abby’s relationship had taken on Clarke, he was hesitant to put Octavia in that same situation. Unfortunately, he was running out of time on the island and the harsh reality was that Octavia was here and his life was somewhere else. 

Even if he could talk Abby into relocating to Hawaii, that would mean taking Clarke away from her father and he would never want to put either of them in that position. There simply was no good solution. The only thing he could do for now was push Aurora to let him spend more time with the little girl. They would figure something out going forward, but for now, he just wanted to make the best of the time they did have. 

At least now, Abby was there with him and she was enough of a distraction to keep him from dwelling too long in the situation. He still wasn’t privy to everything that had happened leading up to Abby’s suspension, but selfishly, he didn’t really care. He was just glad to have her there, regardless of the reason. She was all his for almost three weeks and he was determined to make the best of every second.

He reached out for Abby, anticipating the feel of her soft warm skin, but instead his hand found her spot cold and empty. He opened his eyes, looking over to see if the bathroom was dark before flopping onto his back with a pathetic groan. She had beaten him out of bed and while part of him wasn’t surprised, the larger part of him was disappointed that she hadn’t woken him up. 

“Abby?” he called out, his voice so gravelly from sleep that the words were barely audible. He cleared his throat, but instead of trying again, he pushed back the covers and swung his feet over the side of the mattress, slipping his boxers on before shuffling into the dark living room. 

He immediately noticed the door to the balcony was slightly ajar, and as he moved towards it, he shook his head, smiling at her predictability. As far back as he could remember, she had always loved the ocean. There was something about the constant sound of crashing waves that had relaxed her in a way that nothing else could so he was not surprised to find her out there. 

He stopped just shy of the door and took the opportunity to just take her in, enjoying the warmth that always spread through his body when she was near. God, he had missed seeing her every day. Sure they had talked daily, but nothing compared to having her physically there with him. All he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and never let her go, especially now, and he truly didn’t know how in the world he was going to be able to put her on a plane and watch her leave in three weeks. He didn’t even want to think about it, it was too hard. 

Forcing the thought from his head, he let his eyes linger on Abby. She was laying back in one of the deck chairs, staring out at the star-filled sky, the soft glow of the street lights below illuminating the delicate features of her face. Her fingers were slowly drifting back and forth over the slight swell of her abdomen, and as he watched them move, a huge grin grew on his face at the reminder that it was his baby under her fingertips. Another unexpected yet truly amazing surprise that still had him somewhat in shock. 

He couldn’t believe she had managed to keep this a secret for so long and while he understood why, the reason made him sad all the same. She was still scared, he could see it in her eyes and he didn’t blame her, but he had to believe that the universe wouldn’t do this to them again.. to her again. After everything she had been through over the last months, she deserved this. She needed this and he just had a feeling that everything was going to be okay. Even if she didn’t quite believe it yet, he had enough faith for both of him. All he had to do now was get her to believe as well, but that would be best accomplished with the passage of time. He was just thankful that this time, she was his to watch over. 

Before stepping out to join her, he went back to the bedroom to grab a blanket. Though Fall in Hawaii had been very pleasant, there was still a bit of a bite to the early morning air that he figured she hadn’t anticipated. 

Hearing the door creak open, she turned and smiled as he approached, gratefulness in her eyes at the sight of the quilt on his arm. Reaching out to take her hand, he helped guide her forward enough so he could slide in behind her. 

She settled between his legs and leaned back into his chest, a warm hum escaping her lips as he draped the blanket over them. 

“Thank you. I didn’t realize how cold it was out here.”

“How long have you been up?” he asked quietly as he wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling into her neck and doing his best to help warm her body with his. 

"Mmm, a little while. Couldn’t sleep. I guess it’ll take a few days to adjust to the time change.” 

She felt him nod against her shoulder and smiled as his hands drifted down to his new favorite spot. Her eyes slipped closed as she enjoyed the feel of his warm hand sprawled protectively over their child, her heart melting at how in love he already was, despite the short amount of time he had known about their baby. 

Seeing how hopelessly attached he was had only strengthened her resolve that she had done the right thing by waiting to tell him. There had been plenty of times when she had come close, especially on those nights where she had barely had the energy to climb the stairs to go to bed, but seeing his reaction when she had told him had been worth it. She would never forget the feel of his hand against her skin, the way the air left his lungs as the realization hit him that he was going to be a father. She had been trying to figure out how she was going to tell him for weeks, knowing that by the time she saw him in Maui, there would be no hiding her rapidly growing belly. At 12 weeks, she was still relatively small, but on her slight frame, the bump was becoming harder to hide. Though this had not been the plan, it had been perfect and had allowed her to actually surprise him. Another small blessing that had come from her suspension.

“How did you sleep?” she asked, forcing her attention back to him.

"Not bad. Except this beautiful woman kept waking me up and having her way with me."

"Hey, that was only me the first couple of times. The rest of it was all you."

"I beg to differ."

"Differ all you like, but I..."

Abby's words were lost as Marcus's hand dipped between her thighs, the unexpected contact sending a spark of desire ripping through her.

"You know you're just proving my point, right?" she whispered, doing her best to hide how turned on she already was. 

"It's worth it," he replied, his fingers teasing and applying just enough pressure to make her shiver against him.

“Anything I can do to encourage you back into bed?” he teased. 

“Well, I was going to watch the sunrise.”

“It’ll happen again tomorrow. We’ll see it then.”

“Hmm. I don’t know. I’m pretty happy right here.”

“Well, if you really want to stay out here, I’m sure we can come up with something to distract us until the sun comes up.”

“Marcus! We can’t. Anyone could see us out here.”

“We’ve done it before. Actually, if memory serves, you were the one that suggested it the first time.”

“Yeah, but back at the house the only living things that could see us were the birds.”

“And that guy who likes to fish at night,” Marcus said with such conviction that she wasn’t sure if he was kidding. Her mouth dropped open as she turned to look at him.

“Please tell me you're kidding.”

“I am..” He kissed her cheek, but she was almost positive she saw the truth behind his eyes. “Your choice. We can go in or stay right here and watch the sunrise, but either way, I’m planning on taking advantage of having you all to myself.” He murmured against her neck in the low husky voice that always made her melt. She knew they shouldn’t be going down this road, but resisting him was useless. Now that she was close to the end of her first trimester, her body was on fire with a fresh surge of hormones and as much as she tried to deny it, his words alone were almost enough to make her explode. His voice had always done things to her and the worst part was that he was very aware of it. Add in the seductive scratch of his beard on her cheek and the feel of his hot breath caressing her skin and she was putty in his hands. 

“You have neighbors.”

“Who are all still asleep and we’re under this big blanket. You’ll just have to be quiet this time.”

“Oh, I’m the loud one now.”

“I’m surprised we didn’t get a noise complaint last night.”

“Oh, I can be quiet.”

“Mmm.”

“Is that a challenge?” She mumbled breathlessly as his left hand moved cup her breast, his fingers teasing and pinching her nipple as his free hand started to travel down her body. 

“First one to wake the neighbor loses.”

“Marcus, we ca..” The words caught in her throat as his right hand dipped under the top of her shorts, slipping into her panties to find her already hot and wet for him. “God, Marcus.. We can’t.”

“I’m so winning this. You can’t even stop talking.”

“Shut up and don’t you dare stop what you’re doing.” She encouraged as she relaxed into the warm safety of his arms, letting his hand between her legs help her forget the outside world. 

He wasted no time, expertly teasing her slick folds until her head fell back on his shoulder, her breathing shift from slow and steady to fast and erratic. He followed her lead, listening to her body to guide what she needed. She had shared with him the night before that she was starting to move into the sweet spot of her pregnancy, where the morning sickness and exhaustion abated and was replaced by an almost constant state of arousal for a few weeks. She had described how insatiable her appetite for sex had been when she was pregnant with Clarke and as she sat between his legs, writhing in pleasure, he thanked every God there was that he would be there to experience all of it with her.

Her body had started to move to his rhythm and it wasn’t long before his body responded to the increased friction. He was trying to focus solely on bringing her pleasure, but he was quickly becoming as lost as she was. Before long his blood was moving in time with hers and as she felt the confirmation of his arousal hard against her lower back, he felt her grin against his cheek. He felt her hands drop to his thighs, gripping his muscles and running her hands roughly over his exposed skin. The contact only spurred him on and as he increased his pressure, the sound that left her mouth resulted in him losing all of his self control. 

He began to grind against her, matching her pace, his free hand palming her left breast hard. Sensing that his need was matching her own, she abruptly stopped, causing a groan of disapproval to fall from Marcus’s lips. She hooked her thumbs on either side of her shorts, effortlessly sliding them down and off before rolling over and climbing slowly up to straddle his body. She reached down, freeing his hard cock from his boxers as she took a moment to enjoy the feel of him before lining herself up and taking him deep inside in one gloriously swift motion.

She placed her hands on the back of the chair as she tried to set the pace, but much to her frustration, he grabbed her hips, intentionally keeping their movement agonizingly slow. She was hungry for more, but immediately understood what he was doing. The two of them had always been very competitive and she recognized his game. He was deliberatly trying to torture her just long enough to break her, to make her call out in frustration so he could win the bet. 

She could see it on his face with every thrust, that small little smirk that spoke volumes. She was determined not to give him the satisfaction of saying I told you so, but her body wasn’t making it easy. Even at the slow pace, she could already feel herself moving towards one of the most powerful orgasms she had ever felt and she was biting her lip so hard to stay quiet that she swore she could taste blood. 

On some level, she knew she was going to lose. One of the things that had always attracted her to Marcus was his unique ability to read her and much to her delight, that skill had translated nicely into the bedroom. Marcus knew her. He knew her mind and damn, he knew her body. He could read her so easily and understood all of her body’s subtle clues, using each one to his advantage every time. He teased and tortured her in all the right ways until she was jello in his hands. This time was no different. She could tell by the intense focus on his face that he was ready to explode but, Marcus being Marcus, she knew he was determined to get her there first. As she continued to ride him, chasing her own release, she felt him tilt his hips just so and the new angle had her seeing stars. With every thrust, the head of his cock brushed her in just the right spot and as she started to lose herself in the intense feeling, she no longer was able to stop the moans that were leaving her mouth. She no longer cared that someone might be watching, or that someone might hear them. She didn't care about anyone or anything at this point. All she wanted was the mind blowing orgasm that was still just out of reach. 

“Quiet down.” He teased into her right ear, making her still as her eyes flew open and locked with his. “We don’t actually want to wake the neighbours’.” He continued, his voice low and thick with desire. He smirked up at her and damn him, if she hadn’t been so close she might have ended it right there. Before she could respond, she felt his hand slip from her hip back down between them to find her clit, applying such delicious pressure that she forgot whatever retort had been on the tip of her tongue.

Marcus continued to move inside her with hard thrusts, his head dropping back against the cushion as his eyes slipped closed. She could tell he was close and she prayed that he would hold on long enough for them to reach the peak together. Without warning, he gripped her hips with such force that she was sure there would be bruises later, but the added sensation had been exactly what was needed to push her over the edge. Feeling her start to tighten around him, gave him the permission he needed to let go. She felt him empty deep into her, his continued erratic thrusts just adding to and prolonging her own pleasure.

She felt her entire body relax and as she came down from her high, she collapsed against his body, his softening member still inside her. She shivered against him as the cool morning air hit her body, and he pulled the blanket up to cover her body as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

He placed a lingering kiss to her temple, his hand running up and down her back slowly as he just enjoyed the feel of her body next to his, her slight bump pressed against his lower abdomen. “I’m never going to let you live this one down. You know that right?” He teased, feeling her smile against his cheek.

“Totally worth it.” She lilted, turning in his arms so she was once again facing the ocean, her back pressed against his chest. 

"Have I told you I like having you here?” 

“Maybe once or twice.”

“I wish it was for different reasons, but I’m not complaining.”

“I guess it’s time I filled you in.” 

“Nope.” She looked back at him, her face scrunched with confusion.

“You don’t want to know?”

“No, I do, but not now. I want today to just be about us. All of these problems will still be there tomorrow.

“Marcus, we can’t ignore this.”

“Abby, are you safe? Is Clarke safe?”

She released a slow breath, dropping her head back against his chest and giving a small nod. “Yes, we’re safe.”

“Then nothing else matters.” His right hand drifted down to rest on her abdomen. “Abby, right now this is all that I care about. You, me, and our growing family. There is nothing else.”

“Marcus, this is serious.”

“And so is this.” He heard her release a frustrated breath and he understood why, but he was unwilling to let this mess with Wallace take this moment from them. 

“Tomorrow, I promise we’ll start trying to put the pieces together, but today. Today, I only want to focus on us.” He smiled as he nuzzled his head to hers. “The woman I love most in this world just told me that we’re having a baby together. I need a day to take that all in. All of these problems can wait. Right now, this is all that matters to me.” 

Abby started to respond but the words died on her tongue. He was right, they needed this day. One day, just the two of them, to enjoy this moment in their lives. 

“God, just when I thought I couldn't love you more than I already do.”

After the sun had finally risen above the horizon Abby pushed up from Marcus, wrapping the blanket around her exposed bottom half as she flashed him a smile and took his hand.  "Come on, let's go inside.”

“Time for a rematch?” He teased, wiggling his eyes hopefully at her.

“Oh there’ll definitely be a rematch, but first I want to go put my toes in the ocean and it’s probably a good idea to feed this little one.”

“We can do that.”

“What are you in the mood for?”

“Something that’s not on the menu.”

  
  



	38. Wicked Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby overhears a conversation that confirms her suspicions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, huge thanks to Ziv for the beta and listening to my constant overthinking. :)
> 
> Comments make my day :)

“I know I’ve said this before, but you’re a god in the kitchen.” Abby announced, sitting down between Marcus’s open legs on the couch and relaxing against his chest. 

He grinned as he took one last sip of his whiskey, depositing the glass on the table behind him before fully wrapping his arms around her. "You think so, huh?"

"Mm, I know so." Abby sighed, rubbing her stomach and letting her eyes slip closed as she melted into him. “Best meal I’ve had since the last time you cooked for me.”

“I should cook for you more often,” he said, leaning forward to drop a kiss to the back of her head. “You're good for my ego."

She chuckled, patting him gently on the leg. "Your ego doesn't need any boosting.”

“Well, now that I have you full and happy, can we talk about something?”

“Please don’t ruin my good mood.” 

“I’m not planning on it. I just need to tell you about something and I don’t think you’re going to like it.” He cautioned, his fingers intertwining with hers.

“I knew it.” She teased, turning back to face him, a deep frown on her face. “You don’t love me anymore.”

“You know that’s impossible.” He snorted, shaking his head as he dropped his head to hers.

“Well, that’s the worst thing I can think of, so if that’s not it, then I think I can handle it.” 

“Well,” He exhaled, “there’s a fundraiser on Saturday. Wallace hosts it each year to raise money for the local free clinics and I was cornered into buying a table.”

“And you have to go.”

“It wouldn’t look good if I didn’t.”

“And I’m guessing you want me to go with you.” 

“Would you?” He asked simply, nuzzling his chin into her neck as he waited for the question he knew was coming. 

“Depends.. Will Cage be there?” He exhaled as he nodded into her shoulder, immediately feeling her jaw stiffen against his cheek. “Aurora too.” 

“Marcus…” 

“I know.”

“Aurora I can handle, but Cage?” She looked up at the ceiling, dropping her head back against his chest. “I’m not sure it’s the best idea for me to be in the same room as him right now. Not after what he did.”

“You can behave for one night.” He chuckled lightly, kissing her cheek as his thumb circling the top of her hand.

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“Please Abby, I’d really like you there with me.”

“Why, so I can be your designated driver?” He couldn’t see her face, but could sense she was smiling. 

“No, well yes, but mainly because I may end up in jail if you aren’t. Nate’s going home to see Eric, and Indra’s not sure if she’s going to be able to make it, something with Gaia. That leaves Maya, Wick, and Jasper"

“What’s wrong with Maya? She’s a sweetheart!” 

“She is, she’s very nice, but she barely speaks.”

“And Wick. I seem to remember him being rather funny. ”

“He can be but he hasn’t seen Raven in about two months, so he’s got a raging case of TSP.”

“What in the world is that?” 

“Toxic sperm poisoning.” He whispered into her ear. “If there’s a build up, it turns a guy into an asshole. Simple biology.”

“Oh God,” she giggled, “I’m sorry I asked!”

“It’s awful. I don’t recommend it. Actually I had a bad case of it myself, but thankfully my beautiful doctor made a house call.”

“Oh, you poor baby.” 

“Yup, she fixed me right up. Twice this morning actually.” 

“Hmm.. So Raven and Wick huh?” 

“Yeah, they’re trying to keep it quiet but not much goes on in that office that I don’t know about. He’s trying to get her to come out for the weekend but that’s up in the air too.”

“So, then you’re really just worried about Jasper.”

“God Abby, if you aren’t there as a buffer, he’ll be in my face all night and..” He paused as he looked at her, his eyes pleading for her to bail him out. “I’ll kill him.”

“He’s not that bad.”

“You think that now, but he’s already talking about the open bar and thinks the Mardi Gras theme means there’ll actually be girls there ready to flash their breasts for beads. I swear, if he wasn’t such a wizard with coding, he’d already be gone. He has no filter and you should see his work station. It’s just a sea of empty Red Bulls and Cheeto bags. That kid is a walking tornado.”

“So, I’m your buffer?

“I need you there. Abby, please.”

“If Cage approaches me, I can’t promise that I’ll be nice.”

“I would never dream of asking you to be.”

“You’ll stay with me the entire time?”

“I promise I won’t leave your side and I’ll do my best to run interference with Cage. Come on, I need you there and last I checked, you were a big fan of Mardi Gras.”

“Ugh.. I still get sick just hearing those words.”

“Maybe we can recreate that night, except this time, I’ll be the one that gets shit faced and you can be the responsible one.” 

Abby groaned as the memory surfaced. “What was that senior year?”

“It was. You begged me to go with you... remember?”

“The only thing I remember about that trip was a massive hangover.”

Marcus chuckled, remembering the trip like it was yesterday.  “You were pretty spectacular that weekend.”

“I wasn’t that bad.”

“Says the girl that doesn’t remember anything.”

“I remember waking up next to you. Fully dressed I might add.” 

“Oh, you were dressed, but only because I made sure of it. It took me an hour to get you to lay down. You wanted more beads.”

“I didn’t have enough.” 

“You HAD plenty.”

“So I flashed a few people. I was 21 and having some fun, nothing wrong with that.”

“A few..” He scoffed, “Try a few hundred.” She turned to look at him with daggers in her eyes. 

“You’re such a liar."

“Oh honey..” 

“No..no. Don’t ‘oh honey’ me.”

“Abby, where did you think all those beads came from?”

“They were handing them out!”

He stared at her for a moment, his lips pressed firmly together, doing his best to keep his composure.

“That’s right. People were handing them out… Right after you lifted your shirt.”

He could see her thinking back, as if the events of that night had just registered for the first time.

“No, I mean I did flash a few people. I remember some of that, but you told me that I had collected them on the way back to the hotel.”

“I don’t think that’s exactly what I said.”

Abby covered her face with her hands, still embarrassed at her behavior all these years later. “Oh God, I flashed half of Bourbon Street didn’t I?”

“Hate to break it to you babe, but it wasn’t just Bourbon Street. Half of the city enjoyed your breasts that night. I know I certainly did. Each and every time.” He said, smiling smugly at her as she glared at him, mouth open and betrayal etched on her face.

“You could have stopped me, you know? Wasn’t that the entire reason you were there?”

“Oh, there was no stopping you! You were fully committed to the experience. I’m not sure why you’re surprised? When have you ever done anything half assed?” He bit back a grin as he tried to contain his amusement. “Speaking of..

“Marcus Kane, if you ever want to get back in bed with me, you’ll stop right there!”

She watched as he pursed his lips, his eyes dancing with absolute delight.

“Stop it!”

“What? I didn’t say anything!” Marcus replied innocently, with a shit eating grin on his face.

“Yeah, but you’re thinking it!”

“Can’t help it. One of my fondest memories of you..”

“I hate you.”

“I’ll make sure we snag a few beads off a table while we’re there. Maybe when we get back, we can act out what I wanted to do to you that night when we got back to the hotel.”

* * *

Two days later Marcus stood leaning against the frame of the bathroom door watching as Abby put the final touches on her makeup. She was wearing a long, low-cut black dress that hugged her in all the right places, but most importantly, perfectly hid their little secret. She wanted to wait a few more weeks before they shared their news, so it had been important to her to find something that was appropriate but wasn’t snug around her midsection. It had taken the better part of the morning to find a dress that she was happy with, but the hunt had been worth it. She looked amazing and as Marcus watched her, he couldn’t believe what a lucky man he was. 

“Like what you see?” She teased, watching in the mirror as his eyes traveled up and down her body. 

“Absolutely stunning.” 

“Are you sure I shouldn’t go with the blue one?” She turned slowly to face him, her long hair following the movement and cascading down over her shoulder in chestnut waves. “I’m feeling a bit.. exposed.” She said glancing down and frowning at the way the bodice hugged her ample cleavage. It has been the only downside of the dress. It perfectly hid one bump while expertly displaying her others. 

She could tell by the look in his eyes what was going through his head and when his warm smile morphed into something far less innocent, she huffed, “Ok, that’s it! I’m changing!”

He closed the distance between them, resting his hands on her hips before leaning in for a kiss. “You look amazing. I promise.”

“You just like this one because it puts the girls on display. I don’t need that kind of attention all night, “ she scolded with a soft chuckle. 

“I’ll admit that it’s,” he couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting down, “it’s a very nice feature of that dress, but you really do look lovely Abby. Of course, you look beautiful in anything you wear. If you feel more comfortable in the blue one, we have time for you to change, but I think this one is the winner.”

She held his gaze for a moment, secretly loving when he looked at her with dark, hungry eyes, but she knew that it was best to not go down that road, not yet at least. 

“Zip me up?” Abby asked quietly, as she turned her back to him. She felt his hands back on her hips holding her in place, and then his mouth on her neck, making a moan escape her lips before she could stop it.

“I’d rather unzip it,” He growled softly into her ear, making her feel a bit weak. Between her hormones and his insatiable desire for her, she knew that if she let things go too much further, they wouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon. 

“I did my hair for this. If you mess it up, I’m staying home.” 

His hands glided against the silky material, moving up to cup her breasts before retreating. She felt him step back and then heard the sound of the zipper as it moved up. 

“Had to get it out of my system.” He sighed, dropping one final kiss to the nape of her neck before pulling himself away. 

* * *

T hey stepped onto the elevator and started the journey down to the parking garage. Marcus was standing closely behind Abby, his hand gently resting on her hip as he tried to soak up their last few minutes of privacy. He had really enjoyed having her all to himself over the past few days, and found that all he really wanted to do was go back up to the apartment and help her back out of that dress. Abby had been watching him in the reflective panels of the elevator walls and as if reading his mind, teased. “Are you going to be able to control yourself?” She felt the warmth of his breath on her neck as he leaned in and pressed another kiss to her exposed neck. “It’s going to be hard.” 

She groaned, not missing his double entendre but before she could offer a smart remark, the elevator doors opened and an older woman joined them. 

Abby immediately felt the woman’s eyes on her and though she offered a warm smile, she received nothing but a cold contemptuous stare in return. As the doors closed, she felt Marcus’s fingers gently grip her hips, guiding her back against his body. He dropped his head to her shoulder, snaking his arms around her midsection as he grinned at the woman. 

“Good to see you this evening, Mrs. Thompson.” Marcus hummed, holding Abby close as the woman turned and frowned at them. “Have you met my wife yet?” 

Abby watched as the woman’s shoulders sank. “No, I’ve not.”

“Oh, we’ll let me introduce you then. Mrs. Thompson, this is Dr. Abigail Kane.” His wide smile ticked a few more degrees upward, as his fingers patted her little belly. “She came to visit and to tell me we’re having a baby!” Abby’s head whipped back to look at Marcus, not believing that he was telling a complete stranger something that they had decided to keep between them for a few more weeks.

The woman’s eyes scanned Abby and she nodded unimpressed back at Marcus. 

“Congratulations. I’m sure you’re both thrilled.” Abby’s face turned back towards the woman, confused by the tightness in her voice. 

“Thanks, we couldn’t be happier.” Marcus replied, grinning at the woman as she rolled her eyes and started to repeatedly push the second floor button. Abby stared at Marcus through the reflection, her eyes pleading for some kind of an explanation, but much to her frustration he simply winked at her. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but the tension in the elevator was obvious. Well obvious to her, Marcus seemed completely unphased by it.

“Abby, this lovely lady and her daughter Natasha live on the seventh floor. We somehow always seem to find ourselves on the elevator together. You’ve come up a few times, so I’m glad the two of you could finally meet. I think she was starting to think you weren’t real.”

Abby watched as the woman’s expression hardened, but thankfully before it could get any more awkward, the elevator doors opened and Mrs. Thompson left without another word.

Once the doors closed, Abby looked back at Marcus. 

“What was that?” Abby asked, as she felt his body shake with laughter against her back.

“Just needed to make it very clear that you are indeed real and that she can stop trying to set me up with her daughter.” 

“Oh no. Really?” 

“Yeah, she’s been relentless since the day I moved in.”

“Anything I need to worry about?” She teased as his mouth nipped at the nap of her neck, making her body warm at the intimate contact.

“Not at a thing.” He hummed, his hands again roaming her body.

“Please tell me you’re not going to be like this all night.”

“Can’t help it. It’s the dress. I told you not to wear this one. ”

* * *

“I won’t leave your side.” Marcus whispered in Abby’s ear sensing her body tense as Cage Wallace came into view. With Aurora dutifully by his side, he was strutting around the room like a peacock, making introductions and shaking hands. 

“I’ve always hated these things.” Marcus mumbled, taking Abby’s hand as they moved into the crowd. 

“I know.”

“Have I told you how much I appreciate you being here with me.” 

“You have.” Abby said flatly, offering him a small smile but he could see the concern reflected in her eyes.

“If he even comes our way, he won’t linger. Not with this many people around.” He assured, giving her hand a quick squeeze as he nodded at some people he had met in his time on the island. “We’ll just do our best to stay clear of him. Come on, let’s get something to drink and find our table.” 

As Abby followed Marcus to the bar counter, her mind drifted back to the last time they had been to an event like this together. It was the night that everything had shifted between them, where they had finally given into their feelings and started on the path that had led them to where they were now. A little grin played on her lips as she acknowledged the jealousy that had spurring her into action that night. As much as she loathed Diana Sidney, she would always be grateful for her flirty personality. If she hadn’t been pawing at Marcus that night, who knows how long it would have taken one of them to make a move. She suspected that eventually it would have happened, but Diana had definitely given her the push she needed. 

“Happen to have a  Jack Daniels Single Barrel ,” Marcus asked, stepping up to the makeshift bar and smiling hopefully at the young bartender. 

“Just opened a fresh bottle of single barrel select. Will that work?”

“Good man!” 

“And for the lady?”

“Vodka Cranberry minus the vodka?” Marcus offered, glancing over at Abby with an amused smirk. “She’s pregnant but we’re not ready to tell anyone yet. Just need something in her hand so people don’t ask questions.” Marcus explained, quietly noting the confusion on the man’s face.

“Oh, of course. I can do that!” He laughed, smiling warmly at Abby.

“Thank you.” Abby said politely as she turned and frowned at Marcus, “You promised!”

“What? He needs to know!” He defended, “Come on. Let me have my fun. You won’t let me tell anyone else.”

“A few more weeks, then you can go crazy but for now...”

“A few more weeks and I won’t have to.” He quipped, his eyes holding hers for a moment before trailing down her body. 

“Hey, I’m up here.” 

“Can’t help it. You’re gorgeous.” He growled softly as the bartender returned with their drinks. 

“What’s your name and table number love?” The young man asked, placing a large glass in front of her.

“Abby and we’re at fifteen.”

“Perfect, Calla will likely be your server tonight. When you’re ready for a refill just tell her you’d like the Kai special. She’ll find me.”

After dropping a few singles in the tip jar, Marcus turned and surveyed the room. It didn’t matter where he was, these events were always the same. There were the crowd of older donors surrounded by young attractive women that had been hired to charm them into pulling out their checkbooks and writing lots of zeros. There were the group of people that lived for these types of social engagement, floating from table to table like they were speed dating and then there were the group that had only agreed to come for the open bar, gathered at their tables trying to make the best of a miserable situation. Finally, and the most obnoxious to Marcus, were the fresh faces, the young executives or in Abby’s hospital’s case, interns and residents that were gathered together on the dance floor, making total fools of themselves. As Marcus surveyed the dance floor, his eyes stopped on a familiar mop of black hair in the middle of the crowd. 

“Come on Jasper!” He mumbled under his breath, “We talked about this!” His jaw tightened as he took in the attire of his employee. Marcus had insisted that Jasper wear a suit since he was representing the company, but he had failed to define the appropriate dress shirt. Jasper, not missing an opportunity for self expression, had selected a neon orange Hawaiian shirt and had accented the festive ensemble with what looked to be six dozen Mardi Gras beads. Abby, hearing his disapproving groan, followed his eyes and laughed at the sight of the young man. 

“He’s just having some fun. Relax.” 

“I’m going to kill him Abby. He can be a dumbass on his own time. He’s representing me right now.”

“Give him a break. I seem to remember someone else being a little wild in their youth.” She teased, looking up at him through her long lashes.

He softened, knowing she was right, but he couldn’t help the annoyance he felt. That kid was going to be the death of him one day. 

“Well, as long as he stays away from you with those beads, I guess he can’t get into too much trouble.” 

Her mouth dropped at his little jab, she frowned at the twinkle in his eye. 

“You think you’re pretty funny don’t you?” She grumbled.

“Come on, I see Indra.” He said, slipping his hand into hers, gently pulling her in the direction of their table. 

Indra, Wick and Raven were already settled at the table and upon seeing Marcus and Abby approach they all stood to greet them. Raven immediately pulled Abby into a tight embrace followed shortly thereafter by Indra. Wick’s expression morphed into shock as he watched his normally stoic boss’s uncharacteristic show of affection and before he could stop himself, muttered “Hey, why don’t I get hugs like that?” 

He opened his arms, motioning for Indra to come to him, but she just grimaced. 

“Because you aren’t Abby. Sit down. No hug for you.” Indra replied flatly, sitting back down, leaving the man with his arms in the air. 

An hour later, with dinner having been served and enjoyed, the energy of the room had calmed significantly. As expected, the presence of some familiar faces had helped Abby relax and Marcus was glad that she seemed to be having a good time. Raven had even convinced her to go survey the silent auction items. As the two women made their way around the various tables, Marcus kept his eyes carefully trained on Cage. He hadn’t told Abby, but he had caught Cage watching them at various points during the evening and despite his belief that he would keep his distance, something about Cage’s demeanor that evening made him nervous. 

Marcus had also noticed that Aurora seemed to be keeping tabs on Abby as well. Though it had been years since they had been together, he still could read her fairly well, and it was pretty obvious that she was not pleased to see Abby in attendance. He suspected it was rooted in jealousy she had always fostered towards Abby, but with everything going and her involvement with Cage, he couldn’t be sure. 

“Oh Abby! Look at this!” Raven exclaimed seeing a package for surfing lessons. “Didn’t you say Clarke wanted to learn to surf while she was here?”

Abby closed the distance between them, picking up the information sheet. “Yes, she’s been talking about it non stop actually. Thinks she’s going to become a professional surfer in a week.”

“You should bid on it. For what you’re getting, that’s an amazing price.” Abby considered it for a moment, knowing that Raven was right. She had already looked into lessons and this package really was a steal. Children under twelve were required to have an adult with them and when she realized that she could spend an entire day on the beach watching Marcus’s tanned muscles pushing up on a surfboard she scribbled down her name without another thought. 

She smiled contently as she dropped the pen on the table, pulling her phone to take a photo of the information to show Marcus, but when she saw the lengthy text message on her screen, she paused. 

“What’s wrong?” Raven asked, seeing Abby’s furrowed brow. 

“Who knows.” Abby exhaled. “My daughter is with my ex right now. Let’s just say he’s not used to having her full time. She’s melting down about something and he doesn’t know what to do.” She held up the phone, and Raven cringed at the very lengthy text. 

“I guess I should be thankful I’ve made it four days without one of them calling and begging me to come back.” She mused, turning her attention back to the screen to finish reading Jake’s message. Raven watched as the pleasant smile that had been on Abby’s face morphed into a deep scowl. 

“That bad?”

“Raven, I’m really sorry. He needs me to call.”

“Sure, go ahead. I think I’ve already spent my next month’s salary at this point so I’ll go grab a beer and meet you back at the table?” 

Abby nodded her head, mouthing “I’ll be there in a minute” as she pressed the phone to her cheek, indicating that she was going to go out to the hall for a little privacy. 

Twenty minutes later, Abby was sitting alone on a bench at the end of an empty corridor, trying to understand how it was possible that Jake knew so little how to manage his own daughter. The longer she dwelled in the thought the more she realized that she shouldn’t have been surprised. Jake’s inability to read her had always been a point of contention between them, so it made sense that his emotional deficiency would carry over to Clarke. 

“Her teenage years should be fun..” She huffed to no one in particular as she started back down the corridor, popping into the bathroom before rejoining the party. There were many things she liked about being pregnant, but the constant bathroom use was not anywhere near the top of the list. 

Smoothing her dress in the mirror just outside of the bathroom, Abby stared at her reflection and smiled, her hands resting on her abdomen. “Just a few more weeks,” She thought. “Then, we won’t have to hide you anymore.” 

Satisfied with her appearance, she started back down the hallway, but the sound of a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. It took her a moment to place the voice, but once she did, all color drained from her face.  _ Shit..not now..  _ She was stuck, there was no way back to the ballroom without continuing down the path she was on, so she just decided to wait it out. She contemplated going back into the bathroom waiting area so she at least could sit on a comfortable couch, but when she heard the words that were being spoken she couldn’t stop herself from listening.

“You had her suspended?” Aurora hissed, the venom in her voice obvious despite the hushed tone. “Why the hell would you do that? Now she’ll have connected Jaha. We’ve invested too much in that hospital to have to cut ties. What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that if you had done your job, I wouldn’t have had to step in.”

“I was working on it but it’s going to be pretty difficult to continue with my plan now that she’s here! She’s never liked me. She’ll be questioning everything I do. I can’t believe you couldn’t just trust me!”

“And I can’t believe that you actually let him meet her!”

“Don’t be over dramatic. She thinks he’s just an old friend of mine. What was I supposed to do? He kept pushing to meet her. I had to give him something or he’d get suspicious. The last thing I need is him trying to take me to court over this and with her poking around that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I told you it was a slow game with him. You should have just trusted me.”

“We’re fine Aurora. Stop flipping out!”

Abby’s eyes went wide as her heart started to beat rapidly in her chest.  _ I was right! _ She mumbled not realizing that her phone was slipping from her hand until it was too late. The phone landed on the tile floor with a loud bang, making all talking from around the corner stop. She cringed, quickly reaching down to retrieve her phone before fleeing back towards the bathroom. She didn’t bother to look back but hoped that they hadn’t looked around the corner to see who had made the sound. 

* * *

“Ok, I’m in love with Abby” Raven announced as she plopped down across the table from Marcus. “How the hell did you con her into marrying you?” She joked, smirking at Marcus as she took another swig of her beer. 

Marcus shot Raven an unamused glance as Indra cracked a small smile.

“He’s been slowly wearing her down since the sandbox. I think she finally took pity on him.” Indra said flatly over her beer, raising her eyebrow playfully at Marcus.

“We’ve been close since we were kids.” He corrected, frowning over at his partner. “It just took us a while to get where we are now. Our timing was never good,” he explained to Raven.

“Well, don’t screw it up.” Raven said flatly. “She’s amazing. I mean, you told me she was a doctor, but damn, a cardio thoracic surgeon? Do you have any idea how bad ass that is?”

Marcus laughed, “Yeah, I’m aware.”

“I was telling her my sister wants to go to med school after college and she offered to let her come and shadow her for a day. I mean who offers to do that for someone they don’t even know.” 

“That sounds like Abby.” Indra added. “I’ve always liked her. She keeps you balanced Kane. For once I agree with Raven. Don’t screw this up.” 

Marcus shook his head at the women. “Good to know you both have so much faith in me. I have managed to keep her around for over twenty years at this point.”

“Well, I can see why. The more time I spend with her the more I adore her.” Raven gushed. 

She paused to take a quick sip of her beer before continuing. “And damn man, she’s fucking hot!”

Marcus choked on the sip he had just taken. “Filter Raven!” he managed to say as he tried to catch his breath.

“What? She is. I wish I had a set like hers. You’re a lucky man! Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t kick you out of bed either, but she’s like next level hot. I’ve never met someone so smart that also had a body like that!” She raised her bottle towards Marcus as she grinned devilishly at him. “Mazel tov, my friend!”

“Are you done lusting over my wife?” Marcus chuckled, shaking his head at the younger woman.

“I could go on.” 

“Please don’t” Indra groaned. Marcus’s face blushed as he tried to hide his amused grin behind his glass.

“And you’re right by the way.” He said in a more serious tone to Raven, “I don’t deserve her. I’ve always known that. She’s way too good for me. Totally out of my league.” He grinned shyly at Raven as he watched a genuine smile grow on her face. 

He was about to ask where Abby had gone when he felt her warm hand on his shoulder. Smiling over at Abby as she took the seat next to him, he slid his hand under the table to thread his fingers with hers. Taking her in, he couldn’t help but notice she seemed a bit off. 

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” She said brightly, her look of concern suddenly replaced with a warm smile. “Clarke’s just not had a good day and Jake’s patience is gone.”

“Oh no. What happened?

“He washed her puppy but it didn’t do it early enough so it could dry.”

“Oh that’s a rookie mistake.” 

Abby gave him a knowing look. “And he ordered pizza but didn’t get it square cut. Couldn’t find her favorite book, and he hadn’t done laundry yet, so her Olaf pajamas weren’t ready. Apparently, it was just one thing after another with her today. She locked herself in her room and wouldn’t come out until she talked to me.”

He offered her a sad smile, “Sounds like she misses you.”

“She does and she misses you too.”

“Do I need to call?”

“No, it’s ok. I told her you’d call in the morning.”

“You sure? I don’t mind.”

She gave him a sad smile, appreciating the concern he always had for Clarke. Marcus had such a gentle soul and all she could think about as she stared into his warm brown eyes was what she had just heard in the hallway. She couldn’t understand why Aurora would do this but she was definitely up to something. She didn’t want to believe that her suspicions about Aurora were right, but she had clearly heard the argument and there was no doubt in her mind that they had been talking about Marcus and Octavia. Aurora was lying about Octavia and now she had to tell Marcus. As her mind lingered in that realization, her eyes started to sting. He was going to be crushed and she was going to have to be the one to do it. She tried to fight back her emotions, but it was too late. Tears had already started to gather in her eyes.

“Hey..” Marcus said quietly, noticing her distress. 

She blew out a breath, knowing that now was not the best time to have this discussion. She looked around the table breathing a sigh of relief when she noticed everyone at the table engaged in quiet conversations. Thinking quickly, she just shook her head and tried to fake a smile. “Sorry, stupid hormones.” She assured softly. “ I just miss her. Hearing her voice…” 

Marcus held her eyes for a moment, sensing that she was holding back but decided to let it go. He could see the exhaustion behind her eyes and figured the long day was finally catching up with her. She was still adjusting to the time change and given that they had spent the morning on the beach and the afternoon in bed doing everything but sleeping, he knew it had just been a matter of time before she crashed. 

“We can go.” He offered, his brow still furrowed with concern.”

“No, I’m having a nice time. I’m fine. Promise.”

He gave her hand a quick squeeze and placed a kiss to her cheek, before looking down at his watch. He decided to give it another 20 minutes or so before he made an excuse to get her home and into bed. Any other night, that thought would have meant something far less innocent, but sensing how tired she was, he had already decided that sleep was the only thing that would be happening in their bed that night.

They had two entire days together, just the two of them. They had time for other activities and he had already made it very clear to almost everyone in the office that he was not to be disturbed for any reason until Monday morning at 8am. He had hoped that he could take her up to the North Shore the next morning, since it was supposed to be a beautiful day, but he was equally happy to do whatever she wanted. He was determined to help her relax even if it meant they spent the entire weekend on the couch doing nothing but binge watching shows on Netflix. 

  
  



End file.
